If the Cotton Bowl is remotely interested, it is time to ditch the Capital Bowl.

The Citrus stadium needs renovations plain and simple. But such renovations are expected to cost an estimated $175 million, which in this financial environment is just not feasible. Orlando city officials have even agreed that it could be 10 years before any renovations to the venue.

Do you really believe Jerry Jones doesn’t have the money to overtake the Capital One bowl both in terms of venue and payout by 2019? That new mega stadium being erected in Dallas is already considered one of the greatest tributes to sports alongside the new Yankee palace in New York. That and the 11,000 square feet HDTV that will cast its shadow on the field below, makes a mockery out of the aging Citrus Bowl.

The 160′ by 70′ HD screen costs $35 million in itself, 20% of the estimated renovation costs to the Citrus Bowl. What worse, there wouldn’t even be a 11,000 square feet HDTV if those renovations even take place.

I’d pay just to watch TV on that thing, let alone a bowl game pitting the #2 Big Ten school against the #2 Big 12 school.

Currently the Capital One bowl has tie-ins with the Big Ten and SEC allowing them the first selection of both conferences after the BCS. And with the highest non-BCS bowl payout of $4.25 million per team, it is considered the premier Bowl game outside of the BCS.

But at $3 million and growing, the Cotton Bowl is slowly catching up to the Capital One Bowl. When Jerry Jones gets his hands on the Cotton Bowl in 2010, he will stop at nothing to ensure the Cotton Bowl becomes the BCS’s fifth bowl destination. And if there’s one thing Jerry Jones has, its money. And when it comes to college football, money talks.

The Big Ten better take notice and jump ship as soon as possible if Orlando and the Citrus Bowl will not commit to any renovations. When the Cotton Bowl does overtake the Capital One bowl in payout (which it will), the SEC will not hesitate to send its best teams to Dallas leaving the Big Ten behind. While we currently have the best lineup playing the #1 Pac 10 team in the Rose Bowl and the first non-BCS SEC selection in the Capital One Bowl, let’s just hope the Big Ten doesn’t fall behind for sticking with the aging Citrus Bowl who won’t help themselves.

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