Resilient Spirit: Texas and Ohio State Fans Brave Travel Woes for the Cotton Bowl Experience

ARLINGTON, Texas – Football enthusiasts from across the nation arrived in Arlington on Friday for the Cotton Bowl event between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Earlier this week, Cotton Bowl officials considered rescheduling the college football playoff semifinal due to the predicted snow and ice. 

The city of Arlington treated roads in the Entertainment District for several days. Late Tuesday night, Cotton Bowl officials decided that the game would proceed as planned. 

Nonetheless, traveling fans still had to adapt. 

For some, it wasn’t simple, as Thursday’s winter storm caused delays and cancellations of flights.

Longhorn, Buckeye fans navigate challenging journey to Arlington

The background story:

Tens of thousands of fans flocked to the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Friday night, overcoming snow, flight cancellations, and delays.

More than 1,800 flights in and out of DFW and Dallas Love Field airports were canceled on Thursday, with hundreds more canceled on Friday.

Although the snow ceased falling on Friday morning, several slippery areas remained on North Texas roads that morning.

What they’re saying:

Ohio State supporters Mark Lowary and his son Braidan managed to land in North Texas Friday morning after their flight was de-iced in El Paso and approved for takeoff.

“We departed from California, it was a direct flight to Dallas, and about 20 minutes before landing, we were informed we wouldn’t be able to land and were diverted to El Paso. We spent the night in El Paso,” recounted Mark Lowary.

“I feel like we should’ve never taken off from Ontario, California if they realized there was a possibility Dallas would be a mess yesterday, but whatever, we’re here, so I’m glad about that,” said Braidan Lowary.

Texas supporter Steven Holloway drove from the Austin area on Friday morning to collect his son arriving from New York City.

“He was about 15 minutes late departing from LaGuardia this morning and approximately 15 minutes late arriving here, but we’re fine, we’re good,” Holloway remarked with a smile.

The Leonard family from Cincinnati was on one of the rare flights from Ohio to arrive at DFW Thursday. 

“Travel was tough landing here. They were uncertain about us getting here,” stated OSU supporter Brooke Leonard. “We had a few delays, but we got here.”

Others opted to brave the roads.

The Riley family, Buckeye fans from Oklahoma City, reached North Texas late Thursday night, despite the snowy weather.

“When we initially purchased our tickets, the forecast was supposed to be 49 and sunny, and then that changed rapidly, but we weren’t going to miss it anyway,” commented Erica Riley.

“We would slip and slide from time to time, but once we shifted to 4-wheel drive, it wasn’t too terrible,” stated Chase Riley.

READ MORE: Cotton Bowl 2025: Texas-Ohio State predictions, viewing options, matchups

Ohio State supporter Robyn McGuffee drove in from Louisiana on Thursday. When she reached Terrell, the roads became hazardous, so she called her husband to bring her, and her vehicle, the remainder of the way.

“Fortunately, my husband is a tow truck operator, and he was nearby, so he loaded my vehicle onto the back of his tow truck and drove me in,” said McGuffee. “It proved to be quite useful.”

Both squads faced an uncommon winter weather event in North Texas, hoping to see their team secure a position in the championship game. 

Arlington, TX Weather – Cotton Bowl Forecast

In spite of a winter storm affecting North Texas, organizers decided against relocating the game.

The city of Arlington and the Texas Department of Transportation reported that the roads around AT&T Stadium are safe for travel.

A TxDOT representative stated their crews have been working around the clock treating the roads. Additional crews from across the state have also been deployed to North Texas to assist with Cotton Bowl preparations.

Texas vs Ohio State: Viewing and Streaming Options

• Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
• Location: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
• Date: Friday, Jan. 10
• Time: 6:30 p.m. (CT)
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, YouTube TV (with subscription)