Football Fans React To ESPN's Decision For Cotton Bowl Pregame Prayer
The Cotton Bowl between Texas and Ohio State is just minutes away from kickoff.
Tonight's game at AT&T Stadium will decide who gets to play Notre Dame for the national championship in Atlanta 10 days from now. Prior to the matchup, one of the Cotton Bowl's traditions, a pregame invocation, was performed on the field and aired on ESPN. Considering the network was highly criticized eight days ago for not airing the national anthem at the Sugar Bowl the day after terror attack in New Orleans, showing tonight's prayer is another major shift for ESPN.
The Worldwide Leader also once again aired the playing of the national anthem at the Cotton Bowl tonight after including it in the broadcast of last night's Orange Bowl between Notre Dame and Penn State.
The pregame prayer elicited an immediate flood of reactions on social media.
"ESPN showing a pregame Cotton Bowl prayer on tv? Good," said Sports Spectrum's Jason Romano, a former ESPN employee.
"The @CottonBowlGame showing why they are THE BEST bowl ever: the opening moment silence held for the victims of the NOLA terrorist attack & LA fires, & prayer for safety, respect, & unity for all the young men and the gift of sport in our Great Nation was POWERFUL. #Texas #USA," added LSU mental performance coach Dr. Amber Selking.
"Liked the prayer before the Cotton Bowl, and the fact that ESPN aired it. We need more of this!" a third person said.
"They just aired a prayer on the pregame for the cotton bowl and I’m supposed to believe Christians are being persecuted for their beliefs in this country," a fourth commenter wrote.
"Stadium wide prayer to the one true God at the cotton bowl, plus it got shown on TV??? Yeah this country is so back," another fan added.
"Turned on the Cotton Bowl to watch Texas v OSU… wtf is with the bs Christian prayer over the loud speaker. Unless they’re gonna say a prayer for every organized religion they gotta get that s--- outta sports. Gross," a sixth person said.
ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 10: General view of the stadium prior to the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Texas Longhorns College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic on January 10, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
With the pregame ceremonies out of the way, now it's on to football.
Texas is looking for its first trip national championship since 2005, while the Buckeyes haven't won it all in 10 years. In order for one of them to break their drought, they will have to win tonight.
Ohio State-Texas is just about to kick off on ESPN.
