Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

CBAA Staff: 1985-Present
CBAA Vice President of Communications: 1985-2020
CBAA Historian: 2020-Present
Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame Co-Founder: 1998

When you think about the Cotton Bowl Classic, you have to think about Charlie Fiss. The venerable wordsmith has been synonymous with the Classic since its 49th edition which saw Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie lead Boston College to victory in 1985. He guided the communications efforts and built the best media operations in the bowl business over four decades. Fiss played a vital role in the game’s evolution as a top bowl destination. He was also one of the founders of the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame. He produced each induction ceremony since the first class in 1998. He first worked the Classic as a staff member at the Southwest Conference office, and in July 1993, he joined the Cotton Bowl staff and assumed the role of Vice President of Communications that he held until 2020 when he transitioned to the position of Historian until his retirement in April 2025. The University of Arkansas alum has poured himself into the Cotton Bowl Classic in ways that are unparalleled. In so many ways and to so many people, he’s always been a Hall of Famer.