Before the big reveal, stadium architect Bryan Trubey didn't ask anyone to don blindfolds. Nor did he roll in buses to conceal the ground-level view.

Nor did Dallas native Trubey, the senior project principal behind the historic Cotton Bowl's $140 million extreme makeover, need to show reminder photos of what the 95-year-old stadium once looked like.

That is because the vast majority of renovations occurred on the west side of the 92,000-seat stadium, while similar upgrades to the east side won't begin until 2030 at earliest.

"This is the first time in my 30-plus years of doing this that we have the before and the after all in the same project," Trubey said. "The differences are, well, I'll let you be the judge."

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Football and soccer fans and State Fair of Texas visitors soon can judge for themselves, but The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday got an exclusive two-hour sneak preview.

The overall effect is, in a word, transformative. The wow factor is palpable. Adjectives that haven't described the Cotton Bowl's concourses in decades -- spacious, convenient, aesthetically pleasing -- now apply.

And for those who are fortunate to partake in the new premium suites: luxurious.

In short, after years of planning and 18 months of construction, the promised results of Phase I of renovations -- Phase II will be the east side -- were delivered. Ahead of time and, according to Trubey, on budget.

"We'll see what everyone thinks, but our approach was to treat this like a preservation or restoration project," said Trubey, the senior principal of Overland International. "What we're hoping fans see is a building that appears to be built at a higher quality level than it was originally.

"And that everything we've done honors the look of the Cotton Bowl that everyone was used to seeing on the outside, played out in a more architectural way on the inside."

The News' private tour on Wednesday helped kick off a stretch of public reveals. On Thursday evening Cotton Bowl tenant Dallas Trinity FC will have tours for season ticket members and potential members.

The State Fair begins Friday. On Saturday, City of Dallas officials will host a Cotton Bowl ribbon cutting. On Sept. 27, the 100th State Fair Classic football game will be played between Grambling and Prairie View A&M.

The true big test, and the impetus for the stadium upgrades, comes Oct. 11, when Texas and Oklahoma meet in the Red River Rivalry. The game has been played in Fair Park annually since 1929 -- even before the current stadium was christened on Oct. 11 of the following year.

In April of 2024, thanks largely to the City of Dallas' commitment to the Phases I and II upgrades, Texas and Oklahoma extended their contract to play in the Cotton Bowl through the 2036 game.

"It's gone really fast," said Stefan Kesler, program manager for the City of Dallas' Park and Recreation Department. "It helps having the backing from the mayor and the backing of the city manager. Everybody was excited to get it started, so it accelerated."

AdvertisementAn upgraded fan experience

Dramatic Phase I improvements that fans will experience in the coming days, weeks, years and decades include:

-- The ground-level west side concourse is 60% larger in square footage, doubled in width and greatly enhanced aesthetically;

-- The upper west concourse width has been tripled from approximately 15 feet to 45 feet;

-- The demolition of decades-old concrete ramps, enabling the widened concourses and the addition of 14 escalators. Now fans accessing the two main west gates can get to the mid- and upper-deck levels without having to enter the main concourse;

-- Upgrades to existing restrooms and concessions the addition of new ones. There are seven new concession areas, all offering grab-and-go options. There are 104 new women's toilets (a 30% increase) and 88 new men's toilets (28% increase);

-- Adjoining the enlarged third-level concourse are two new outdoor terraces, offering views of Fair Park, the State Fair and the Dallas skyline;

-- Ten new suites on level five of the old west side press box tower and two loge boxes on the sixth floor "club level." That is in addition to level seven athletic director suites, coaches rooms and broadcast rooms that were added before last year's game.

-- Brighter concourse lighting on the westside and more powerful Wi-Fi dispersed throughout the stadium;

-- A new 213-seat press box in the stadium's southwest corner.

The renovations were led by San Antonio-based architecture firm Overland Partners and the joint efforts of construction companies JE Dunn and H.J. Russell.

Earlier this year Overland International was established by former Overland Partners senior principals Trubey and Bob Shemwell and is independently owned and operated from Overland Partners.

There was no disruption to the Cotton Bowl project, "a labor of love" for Oak Cliff-raised, Skyline High- and Texas A&M-educated Trubey. What does he hope Cotton Bowl fans will most notice?

"Three things," he said. "First, I think the way you get into the building has changed radically. We've replaced ramps with escalators and stairs. It's super-positive, much easier to get in and get up to your seats.

"Second, I think people will be really impressed with the grandeur of the space. A lot of what we've done with the Cotton Bowl is to almost exhume it and let it be an architectural space. I think most people don't realize this is what's been hiding here behind the ramps.

"And third and really just as important is the food and beverage and amount of restrooms are greatly increased. So all of that equals a much higher-quality fan experience."

Funding Phases I and II is a 2% hotel occupancy tax increase Dallas voters approved in 2022. The city expects taxes to accrue $1.5 billion over 30 years, with $300 million earmarked for the Cotton Bowl and five other Fair Park venues. The remaining $1.2 billion is for the new downtown convention center.

Texas' and Oklahoma's contract with Dallas stipulated that Phase I be completed before the 2026 game, but Overland Partners and the joint constructors targeted a Sept. 12, 2025 "substantial completion" date.

Tyler Reilly, the construction's project manager, said "substantial completion" was achieved on Sept. 11. That meant only punchlist items were left, most of which will be completed before work is paused Friday for the State Fair's duration.

Any punchlist items that remain will be completed starting Nov. 1.

"The city, the design team, the contractor and all parties involved, working as a collective team is what got us here," Reilly said. "To say something reared its head on a daily basis that was unforeseen is not an over-exaggeration.

"All of that being overcome and hitting our date, everyone involved with the job should be proud of that."

Groundbreaking for construction occurred in March 2024. In the months leading to last year's State Fair, infrastructure was built, including the two towers that would anchor the escalators.

Starting last Nov. 1, a peak of 392 construction crew members worked 24/7 to demolish the winding concrete ramps and began work on the concession areas and restrooms.

"There was a lot of pride among those 392 workers throughout the life of the job," Reilly said. "A lot of that is tied back to the nature and history of the project, all the games that have been here. It's really cool to see: This community coming in to build a project for the [larger] community."

AdvertisementBlending modern architecture with preservation

Leading The News' tour were Trubey and longtime architecture colleagues John Hutchings, Katie Miles and Chad Scheckel, now of Overland International.

Hutchings and Trubey collaborations include Globe Life Field in Arlington; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Trubey's expansive resume' also includes AT&T Stadium in Arlington and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles

Miles is Overland International's lead interior designer. Her work includes U.S. Bank and SoFi Stadiums and, more recently, a baseball stadium and multiple basketball arenas in Japan.

"We kind of make up one whole architect because we all do different things," Trubey said.

The Cotton Bowl project is more akin to those on which Trubey worked during his longtime tenure at Dallas-based HKS, Inc.: The refurbishments of Texas Stadium, Dodger Stadium (2001-2007) and Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field.

"This," Miles said of the Cotton Bowl, "has been the most challenging thing we've done. But it also might be the most rewarding."

Among the challenges was blending modern architecture and fan luxuries and conveniences into a historic stadium that has been expanded through the decades, not always for the better, aesthetically.

The lower bowl was built in 1930, with a capacity of 45,507, accented in ensuing years with Art Deco to complement the surrounding Fair Park structures that were built for Texas' 1936 Centennial celebration.

In 1948, a second deck was added to the Cotton Bowl's west side, increasing capacity to 67,000. A second west deck was added a year later.

Major renovations in 2008 -- completing the upper deck oval -- expanded capacity to 92,100. However, those extra fans created nightmarish logjams in the cramped concourses.

During several junctures of The News' tour, the architects noted, "That's a 1948 wall."

"There's been a lot of discovery here," Miles said. "As much of a revitalization as this project is, it's a little bit of a preservation."

For instance, the iconic neon Cotton Bowl sign and west facade, completed in 1948, has been preserved and incorporated into the new construction, celebrated with new illumination.

The logo on the corridor ground just inside the main has been restored to the original 1936 design, when Fair Park Stadium was renamed the Cotton Bowl, commemorating that year's college bowl game's debut.

Most noticeable about the new main concourse is its openness. A staircase was created, branching to the left and right, creating a classic entryway resembling a piano nobile.

"One of the things I think we're most proud of is, unlike most facilities this big, it's not cluttered," Trubey said. "You walk over to the [east] side, there's stuff everywhere because it's had 75 or 80 years of additions.

"This is as strong a public space as any of the buildings in Fair Park, in terms of scale. This one's unique because it's the stadium and it curves, but in terms of the classic ordering, I'd put this up against any space in Fair Park.

"That's what makes it feel like it went with the building."

The overall look and feel is a blend of history and contemporary creature comforts. There are cashless grab-and-go concessions with Saveur Sans font signage, intentionally selected and used throughout the stadium to define the Cotton Bowl and Fair Park's distinct heritage.

In the suites and club level common areas, there are big screen TVs and bars and modern furniture and cup-holders at every seat, but also vintage Cotton Bowl game photos adorning walls.

The photoes include future Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White playing in the 1938 Cotton Bowl Classic; future Hall of Famer Jim Brown playing in the 1957 Classic; and future Cowboys great Troy Aikman in the 1989 Classic.

"We kind of imagined these spaces as if we had been the designers of this exact space when it was originally built," Miles said. "This is how we feel it would look.

"We wanted to make sure it was sophisticated. We wanted to make sure it's timeless, since it's an investment that's going to stand, hopefully past me existing. But also something that felt contextual."

Miles said great care was taken to incorporate local materials, including Texas limestone.

"We didn't want this to feel too kitschy or too Art Deco-forward, but also to make sure this was an amazing investment."

A special touch in the upper level

The Cotton Bowl, after all, not only is a sports and entertainment venue, but a designated historic landmark, filled with timeless moments.

Legendary sportswriters of yesteryear probably wouldn't be happy to learn that the historic press box has been transformed into luxury suites. Or that the new press box is near the south end zone.

But they sure would be grateful to have a lot more elbow room and to have chairs that aren't bolted into concrete. And a spacious dining area.

The last, but not least stop on the tour, Trubey purposely saved as the coup de grace.

In most of his stadium projects, he and his design partners have made it a point to incorporate a special touch in the upper level, for everyday fans.

In the Cotton Bowl's case, that resonates in the two large outdoor terraces. Yes, upper-deck fans finally have concessions and restrooms, but also glorious views of the State Fair and Dallas skyline.

Trubey visualizes office Christmas parties and other social gatherings occurring on those terraces for decades to come.

"I think this is where the whole project comes together for me," he said, gazing toward Dallas, then down the empty State Fair grounds. "I think it's so evident what can happen when cities make wise capital investments, especially in cultural venues.

"Really what this is is a stadium, but it's one of the quintessential 20th century stadiums in the country."

He said he believes Fair Park is at a tipping point, that he hopes Phase I helps tip it in a positive direction, including Phase II, no matter who designs and constructs it.

"I think the whole city realized what an important asset Fair Park is, and how unique it is nationally," he said. "I think if we continue to improve the Cotton Bowl in particular, it could really be the finest outdoor venue in the country."

Photos: A first look at the newly-renovated Cotton Bowl 30 imagesView Gallery

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First look at newly-renovated Cotton Bowl: Transformation meets historical preservation