List of Cotton Bowl Classic broadcasters
The Cotton Bowl Classic was considered a “major” bowl game from inception until it was excluded from the formation of the Bowl Championship Series in 1998. As a result, the game has been considered a “minor” bowl since that date.
Fox Sports has televised the Cotton Bowl Classic since 1999. For many decades, the game was a New Year's Day staple on CBS, where the man most associated with the Cotton Bowl, Lindsey Nelson, handled the play-by-play. NBC televised the game in the 1950s and for a brief period in the mid-1990s. Currently, Brad Sham, best known as the voice of the Dallas Cowboys is the radio voice of the Cotton Bowl on the Westwood One Radio Network, and longtime NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, who lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, has come out of retirement to announce the annual game for Fox.
Date |
Network |
Play-by-play |
Color commentator(s) |
Sideline reporter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
January 2, 2010 |
Fox |
Pat Summerall |
Daryl Johnston |
Krista Voda and Shepard Smith |
January 2, 2009 |
Fox |
Pat Summerall |
Brian Baldinger |
Jeanne Zelasko and Krista Voda |
January 1, 2008 |
Fox |
Pat Summerall |
Brian Baldinger |
Jeanne Zelasko and Krista Voda |
January 1, 2007 |
Fox |
Pat Summerall |
Brian Baldinger |
Krista Voda |
January 2, 2006 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Terry Donahue |
Jeanne Zelasko and Chris Rix |
January 1, 2005 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Brian Baldinger |
Jeanne Zelasko |
January 2, 2004 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Tim Green and Bill Maas |
Brian Baldinger |
January 1, 2003 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Tim Green and Ron Pitts |
Brian Baldinger |
January 1, 2002 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Tim Green and Dave Lapham |
Brian Baldinger |
January 1, 2001 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Tim Green and Dave Lapham |
Brian Baldinger |
January 1, 2000 |
Fox |
Thom Brennaman |
Tim Green and Dave Lapham |
Mike Doocy |
January 1, 1999 |
Fox |
Joe Buck |
Bill Maas |
Suzy Kolber and Ron Pitts |
January 1, 1998 |
CBS |
Gus Johnson |
Mike Mayock |
|
January 1, 1997 |
CBS |
Tim Ryan |
Steve Davis |
|
January 1, 1996 |
CBS |
Verne Lundquist |
Steve Davis |
|
January 2, 1995 |
NBC |
Jim Lampley |
Todd Christensen |
|
January 1, 1994 |
NBC |
Charlie Jones |
Todd Christensen |
|
January 1, 1993 |
NBC |
Tom Hammond |
Paul Maguire |
|
January 1, 1992 |
CBS |
Jim Nantz |
Terry Bradshaw |
|
January 1, 1991 |
CBS |
Jim Nantz |
Tim Brant |
|
January 1, 1990 |
CBS |
Jim Nantz |
Pat Haden |
|
January 2, 1989 |
CBS |
Verne Lundquist |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1988 |
CBS |
Brent Musburger |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1987 |
CBS |
Verne Lundquist |
Pat Haden and Ara Parseghian |
|
January 1, 1986 |
CBS |
Brent Musburger |
Ara Parseghian |
|
January 1, 1985 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Pat Haden |
|
January 2, 1984 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1983 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1982 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Roger Staubach |
Frank Glieber |
January 1, 1981 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Roger Staubach |
Frank Glieber |
January 1, 1980 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung |
Frank Glieber |
January 1, 1979 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung |
Frank Glieber |
January 2, 1978 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung and Paul Alexander |
Don Criqui |
January 1, 1977 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung |
|
January 1, 1976 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Alex Hawkins |
|
January 1, 1975 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Johnny Sauer |
|
January 1, 1974 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1973 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1972 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1971 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1970 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1969 |
CBS |
Frank Glieber |
Eddie LeBaron |
|
January 1, 1968 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Johnny Sauer |
|
December 31, 1966 |
CBS |
Jack Drees |
Pat Summerall |
|
January 1, 1966 |
CBS |
Jack Whitaker |
Frank Gifford |
|
January 1, 1965 |
CBS |
Jack Buck |
George Connor |
|
January 1, 1964 |
CBS |
Chris Schenkel |
Pat Summerall |
|
January 1, 1963 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Terry Brennan |
|
January 1, 1962 |
CBS |
Chris Schenkel |
Johnny Lujack |
|
January 2, 1961 |
CBS |
Jack Drees |
Terry Brennan |
|
January 1, 1960 |
CBS |
Jack Drees |
Forest Evashevski |
|
January 1, 1959 |
CBS |
Tom Harmon |
Darrell Royal |
|
January 1, 1958 |
CBS |
Tom Harmon |
||
January 1, 1957 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 2, 1956 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 1, 1955 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 1, 1954 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 1, 1953 |
NBC |
Bill Stern |
Joe Hasel |
|
Notes
- During the 1980 game, CBS announcer Lindsey Nelson was stricken with laryngitis and had to leave the telecast after the first quarter. Sideline reporter Frank Glieber took over the play-by-play for the remainder of the game.