Photo by Victoria Hernandez.
This week marks the end of classes for 2025 in Dallas ISD, but South Oak Cliff High School’s football season will continue as the Golden Bears (13-1) return to Cotton Bowl Stadium to face Melissa Cardinals (11-2).
John Jenkins, the first of Dallas’ Park and Recreation Department, said this is the first high school football playoff game at the Cotton Bowl in 10 years. The stadium has recently hosted college football and Dallas Trinity FC, but Jenkins said renovations have been made since the fall where attendees broke the record for the largest crowd for a pro women’s sporting event in Texas.
“With the major renovations that we just completed, the $140 million, it’s now made the Cotton Bowl a competitive venue now,” he said. “And so the Cotton Bowl is now back open again for high school football.”
Those renovations include new concessions, improved and added restrooms, 16 additional escalators and expanded concourse spaces.
“This all came together when council member Maxie Johnson reached out to me on Saturday, and Dallas ISD and ISDs,” Jenkins said. “We all worked on Saturday and Sunday to bring this all together to make sure this game could happen here on Friday.”
That game is the 2025 UIL Texas Football State Championship 5A Division II semifinal on Friday, Dec. 12 with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
“Ten years ago my son played quarterback for South Oak Cliff High School in a playoff game at the Cotton Bowl, and I really wanted the next generation of SOC student athletes to be able to play a game of great significance in the City’s signature stadium and be able to make memories that will last a lifetime,” Johnson said in a press release.
The two teams have not met since SOC eliminated Melissa High School in the 5A Division II area-round playoff game on Nov. 18, 2023 with a score of 38-30. If SOC repeats a win against Melissa, the Golden Bears will go on to fight for their third UIL Class 5A Division II Football State Championship title.
“We’re just fortunate that this opportunity presented itself, and I’m thankful that council member Maxie John reached out to me on Saturday,” Jenkins said. “And, I’m glad we were able to get this (no pun intended) over the goal post. To be able to host a local team as well as a regional team.”
