Cotton Bowl May Cut Ties to Southwest Conference : Football: The expected departure of Arkansas from the league could force an open bowl.

The Mobil Cotton Bowl may have to end its 50-year affiliation with the Southwest Conference and become an open bowl because of the expected departure of Arkansas to the Southeastern Conference.

“No question about it. One of the options is to become an open bowl,” bowl President John Stuart said Monday. “If the conference can bring in some strong members that can bring as much or more to the party than Arkansas has left with, that’s another thing.”

Arkansas’ board of trustees will vote Wednesday on making the move official. Chancellor Dan Ferritor has recommended that the school resign from the conference effective June 30, 1991.

Arkansas has been the host team for the past two Cotton Bowl games.

The Dallas Morning News reported today that CBS Sports has indicated to the bowl officials that an eight-team Southwest Conference without Arkansas would result in significantly lower rights fees.

But, the newspaper reported that if the bowl ends its 50-year affiliation with the conference and chooses two at-large teams, its rights fees will remain the same.

The action by Arkansas may leave bowl officials in the position of choosing between the SWC or money.

The departure of “one of the conference’s most successful teams would make us seriously look at the arrangement,” said Len DeLuca, vice president of program planning and development for CBS Sports.

There have been reports that the conference may try to join forces with at least some Big Eight teams in an attempt to replace Arkansas. Oklahoma would, of course, be one of the best possibilities from that conference.

“We need to find out what the conference is thinking about alternatives,” Stuart said. “Once we know that, we being the board of the Cotton Bowl, we will know what the risks-rewards are. Until I figure out where they are going and weigh that direction . . . I can’t make that decision in a vacuum.”

Stuart said he plans to meet later this week with SWC Commissioner Fred Jacoby and Cotton Bowl Executive Vice President Jim Brock.

The conference and CBS are operating without a contract since a six-year contract agreed to last year has never been signed. A source close to the negotiations said the disagreement resulted from a clause pertaining to SWC membership.

DeLuca said he believes the Cotton Bowl, the network’s only New Year’s Day bowl, “because of its national reputation would be viable as an open bowl if that becomes necessary.”