The Cotton Bowl will host a Texas-Oklahoma high school football showdown this fall when Southlake Carroll faces Jenks High School of Oklahoma at 7 p.m. on August 28.
Southlake Carroll announced the matchup this week, confirming the game will open the 2026 high school football season at the historic stadium at Fair Park.
The Dragons were originally scheduled to play Orange Lutheran of California, but that matchup fell through after a head coaching change at the California program. Southlake Carroll head coach Lee Munn said the cancellation forced the team to finalize its schedule later than expected.
Jenks head coach Adam Gaylor had previously expressed interest in scheduling the game, prompting Southlake Carroll to revisit the interstate matchup. Officials later moved the contest to the Cotton Bowl.
The game brings together two nationally recognized programs. Southlake Carroll has won eight state championships and reached the UIL Class 6A Division II state title game in 2024 before falling to Vandegrift. Jenks has long been one of Oklahoma’s premier programs, with multiple state titles of its own.
The Cotton Bowl, which hosts the annual Red River Rivalry between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma, will now stage a high school version of the interstate matchup weeks before the college showdown.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas City Council approved $65 million in 2024 as part of a broader $140 million renovation project at the nearly century-old stadium. The upgrades include expanded entrances, new elevators and escalators, improved concession areas, and upgraded infrastructure.
The August contest will mark Munn’s debut season as Southlake Carroll’s head coach and adds another marquee event to the Cotton Bowl’s fall schedule.