Since 1932, the Red River Shootout between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners the game has been played at the Cotton Bowl stadium in the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. The neutral location makes the game special in many ways.
From the unique food to the midway rides and Big Tex, the Fair Park location adds a sense of spectacle to the game. It feels like a midseason bowl game. Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian loves the setting.
"I think it is awesome," Sarkisian said on Monday. "It is the unique setting in college football. It is the most special setting in college football. I love that it's at the State Fair. The smell of corn dogs and funnel cakes. I do not take it lightly. I would not change it for anything.
There are only three major
neutral site games left in college football. Texas-OU is joined by the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" between Florida and Georgia in Jacksonville, FL and Army-Navy.
"I'm humbled to be part of this game," Sark said. "It's an honor. It's the best environment, in my opinion, in college football."
A snippet from Steve Sarkisian’s opening statement about the Red River Shootout and how special it is to be a part of.
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) October 5, 2026
“This one is as special as they come.” pic.twitter.com/4BnSZQbGQT
There have been rumblings over the years to make the game a more traditional home and home series. Mostly from Norman, Oklahoma businesses that want an extra home game every other year. But the schools have resisted the temptation to mess with the game's core tradition.
Sarkisian has been successful in Red River, especially against Sooners coach Brent Venables Sark is 3-1 vs. Venables, and Texas has outscored Oklahoma 106-9 in those three wins.
Sarkisian vs. Venables
- 2022: Texas 49, Oklahoma 0
- 2023: Oklahoma 34, Texas 30
- 2024: Texas 34, Oklahoma 3
- 2025: Texas 23, Oklahoma 6
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Sarkisian: Neutral site makes Texas vs. Oklahoma special
