National Football Foundation

For nearly four decades, Rick Baker helped shape the college football postseason as the steward of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, one of the game's most iconic postseason traditions, while strengthening its role as a force for good in the North Texas community.
 
Baker retired as president and CEO of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association on April 30, 2026, concluding a remarkable 38-year tenure with the organization. During that time, he helped guide the Classic through enormous changes in college football, including new broadcast, conference and title sponsorship partnerships, the move to AT&T Stadium and ultimately its inclusion in the College Football Playoff.
 
Throughout Baker's tenure, the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association remained a longtime friend and supporter of the NFF and its mission, helping strengthen the Foundation's presence in North Texas and supporting its efforts to promote the values of college football.
 
"Rick has been a great friend to the National Football Foundation and someone who has spent his entire career making college football better," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Rick has always made sure that the Cotton Bowl was more than just a game while protecting its traditions and expanding its impact in the community. We are extremely grateful for his friendship and everything he has done for college football over the years."
 
Baker joined the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association as director of marketing in 1988, assuming the role of executive director in 1992 and then president and CEO in 2010. As one of the deans of the bowl industry, he leveraged the Cotton Bowl's legendary reputation for hospitality to secure its place among the New Year's Six bowls and as a key part of the College Football Playoff, hosting both CFP semifinals and quarterfinals. The move to AT&T Stadium also positioned the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association to host the inaugural CFP National Championship at the stadium in January 2015, when Ohio State defeated Oregon, 42-20.
 
The Classic now generates an estimated $100 million in annual economic impact for North Texas, with its direct economic impact nearly doubling since the game moved to AT&T Stadium in 2010. The 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic marked Baker's 38th Classic as a member of the CBAA staff. Baker also played an instrumental role in the creation and growth of the Cotton Bowl Foundation and Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame. Since 2016, the Foundation has awarded more than $4 million to nonprofit organizations throughout North Texas.
 
Before joining the Cotton Bowl, Baker held athletics administration positions at SMU and the Southwest Conference from 1979-88. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Scranton in 1977 and a master's degree from Ohio University in 1979. A three-year baseball letterman at Scranton, Baker also spent two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system.
 
In 2026, Bowl Season honored Baker with its Wright Waters Legacy Award for his leadership and contributions to college football.