The day: October 12th, 2002 Where: The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas What: Two unbeaten teams clashing head-to-head to decide who will remain in the hunt for the national championship. I had two very coveted tickets to this football battle between the second ranked University of Oklahoma - Norman (OU) Sooners and the third ranked University of Texas - Austin (UT) Longhorns. The stadium was split down the 50 yard line. One side was clad in solid crimson. The other, solid burnt orange. The game began and the battle was nothing short of what I thought it would be. Then the University of Oklahoma began to pull away. When it became evident that my beloved Longhorns were not going to win, my mind began to wonder. I pondered the fact that I could have sold my two tickets in the end zone for close to $500. $500 richer I would have been, but instead I chose to go watch my college, the team I have loved since birth, lose. I thought about that more and more and then my mind ventured into a bigger picture. Why was the demand so high and the stadium so small? These schools were losing money because of their desire to keep tradition. To have such a high profile game in the Cotton Bowl for this reason alone seems foolish and ignorant. A change is needed to ensure that future Red River Shootouts are as profitable as possible so that both schools are able to provide great facilities and education, not only to athletes, but all students attending these respected institutions.
             The University of Texas first met the Oklahoma Sooners on the football field in the year 1900. The only thing that has kept these schools from meeting every year has been war, but since that first game, these two schools have clashed close to 100 times, with Texas winning more than half. The game was played in either Norman or Austin until 1929, when the game was moved to the Cotton Bowl. The game is played inside the stadium, while the State Fair of Texas ta...