Cotton Bowl Athletic Association
Cotton Bowl Athletic Association reported $21.0 million in revenue and $17.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.81 went to program services, $6.19 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 79.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,134,939 (President / CEO). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 68% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending April 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $17MFor context, the median across 237 covered recreation & sports charities: $88.05 programs, $10.89 management, $1.06 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending April 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $21MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.8% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.2% | 10.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.05 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 12.8% | 25.2% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 79.4% | 61.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,134,939 | $365,322 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 6.52% | 2.14% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 25.6 | 14.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 91 of 92 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseFrom Slingin' Sammy Baugh to Troy Aikman and Johnny Manziel, the annual Cotton Bowl Classic continues to rank among America's great sports endeavors. For nearly eight (8) decades, the Cotton Bowl has been the shining star of postseason collegiate sports in Texas. The January 2, 2024 game marked the 87th anniversary of this historic event featuring college football at its finest. Two of the nation's top teams - Tulane University and University of Southern California - traveled to North Texas to do battle. Over 55,329 people witnessed an exciting game which Tulane won 46-45. The Cotton Bowl…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President / CEO Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $978,047 | $0 | $156,892 | $1,134,939 |
| COO / CFO Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $589,549 | $0 | $103,269 | $692,818 |
| Senior VP External Affairs Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $345,075 | $0 | $70,856 | $415,931 |
| VP of Ticket Sales & Services Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $200,120 | $0 | $53,751 | $253,871 |
| VP of Creative & Guest Service Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $178,736 | $0 | $52,115 | $230,851 |
| Director of Stadium Operations Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $126,206 | $0 | $47,513 | $173,719 |
| Director of Communications Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $142,506 | $0 | $28,998 | $171,504 |
| Director of Ticket Operations Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $133,520 | $0 | $21,939 | $155,459 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.9M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b92 · 91 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 518
- Volunteers Part I, line 692
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Cotton Bowl Athletic Association's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Cotton Bowl Athletic Association spent in FY2025, $93.81 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Lift for Life AcademySaint Louis, MO · revenue $21M · programs 85.5% · FY2025
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- United States Youth Soccer AssociationPlano, TX · revenue $21M · programs 73.3% · FY2025
- USA FootballIndianapolis, IN · revenue $21M · programs 84.3% · 2025
- Jewish Community Center of DallasDallas, TX · revenue $21M · programs 80.8% · FY2025
All recreation & sports charities · Largest charities in Texas
Questions people ask
How much of Cotton Bowl Athletic Association's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association reported that 93.8% of its $17.4 million in expenses went to program services, 6.2% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Cotton Bowl Athletic Association pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Cotton Bowl Athletic Association reported for one person in the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025 was $1,134,939, for the role of President / CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Cotton Bowl Athletic Association get its money?
Of $21.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025, 12.8% came from contributions and grants and 79.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Cotton Bowl Athletic Association a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 75-0863843 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025, object 202640579349300509 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2024, object 202510719349301321 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2023, object 202400229349301475 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2022, object 202310729349301821 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2021, object 202132859349302213 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2020, object 202042599349301339 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 75-0863843: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.