Frisco Bowl Tickets: Seats Inside Ford Center

By the Reserved Seat editorial teamUpdated October 1, 2026How we research

Upcoming Frisco Bowl dates

Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.

The Frisco Bowl seat call

Sit on a sideline near the 50, a few rows up. The 2026 Frisco Bowl kicks off on Wednesday night, December 23, 2026 (8 p.m. Central, ESPN), indoors at the Dallas Cowboys' Frisco facility, Ford Center at The Star. With only about 12,000 seats and no upper deck far from the field, distance is not your problem. Angle and height are.

Front rows: you look straight into the backs of coaches and players standing along the bench, which hides the far side of the field.
Middle and upper rows at midfield: the best way to watch plays unfold.
Corners: still close in a building this size and a fair fallback.

Why an indoor practice facility changes your seat

Ford Center, at 9 Cowboys Way, dates to 2016. The Cowboys practice there, and Frisco's public high schools play their football games there; the city, its school district (Frisco ISD) and the team built it together. It has a synthetic turf field and full climate control.

That removes the usual December questions. There is no sun side, no wind and no cold to factor in, so you can choose purely on sightline and on which fans you want around you. Each school's fans usually gather behind their own bench. Once the teams and benches are announced, use that to place yourself.

Bowl-specific section maps are hard to find. Check the chart attached to your listing against the map the venue publishes.

Matchups, tie-ins and the at-large slot

ESPN Events owns the game. One spot is tied to the American Conference; the second is an at-large invitation. Ahead of the 2025 game, organizers described a candidate pool of the American, the Sun Belt, Conference USA, the Mountain West and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). As of early October 2026, no pairing had been named; expect the announcement in early December.

Here distance drives demand more than brand. The two biggest crowds both involved Texas schools: SMU's appearance in 2017 drew 14,419, and UTSA's in 2021 drew 15,801. A pairing of distant teams, on a weeknight just before Christmas, usually means open seats. Still, with seating for only about 12,000, a modest traveling group from a nearby campus can empty the prime sideline sections fast.

Frisco's December doubleheader

For the second straight year, Frisco has two bowl games. First comes the Frisco Football Classic on Tuesday night, December 15, 2026 (8 p.m. Central). The Frisco Bowl follows eight days later. Same building, same network (ESPN), and a combined two-game ticket bundle from the organizers.

Locals: 8 p.m. weekday kickoffs work after the workday.
Visitors: expect a late finish and book accordingly.
Traveling fans: December 23 leaves a tight window to get home for Christmas.

Reaching The Star

The Star is the Cowboys' 91-acre headquarters campus in Frisco, a suburb north of Dallas, and Ford Center is part of it. Driving is the norm. Fly into either DFW International or Love Field, and plan on rideshare after a late game.

As of early October 2026, neither parking details nor bag rules for this year's game were out. Look at the bowl's website and the venue's policies in game week, including whether a clear-bag rule applies.

Frisco Bowl scores and crowds by year

The game began life in 2014 as the Miami Beach Bowl. After ESPN Events bought it in April 2017, it relocated to Frisco for that season, where it played at Toyota Stadium through 2024. Renovation work at Toyota Stadium sent the 2025 game indoors, and the 2026 game stays at Ford Center.

2017: Louisiana Tech over SMU, 51–10; crowd 14,419
2018: Ohio over San Diego State, 27–0; crowd 11,029
2019: Kent State over Utah State, 51–41; crowd 12,120
2020: no game, because of the pandemic
2021: San Diego State over UTSA, 38–24; crowd 15,801
2022: Boise State over North Texas, 35–32; crowd 12,211
2023: UTSA over Marshall, 35–17; crowd 11,215
2024: Memphis over West Virginia, 42–37; crowd 12,022
2025: Ohio over UNLV, 17–10; crowd 6,521 in the first Ford Center edition

The high-scoring editions stand out: Kent State's 51–41 win in 2019 and Memphis edging West Virginia, a Big 12 team, in 2024.

Sponsor names over the years

In Texas the title has changed hands several times: DXL for 2017 and 2018, Tropical Smoothie Cafe from 2019 to 2021, no sponsor in 2022, then Scooter's Coffee from 2023. The June 2026 ESPN Events schedule listed the game with no sponsor attached, so this season's name may differ. Team announcements and fan events appear at thefriscobowl.com. Each Reserved Seat order comes with a 100% guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Are there bad seats at the Frisco Bowl?

Few are far from the field in a 12,000-seat building. The main drawback is the very front rows, where players and staff on the sideline block the view across the field.

What time is the 2026 Frisco Bowl?

Kickoff is 8 p.m. Central on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, with ESPN carrying the game.

Why did the Frisco Bowl leave Toyota Stadium?

Toyota Stadium was under renovation, so the 2025 game moved to Ford Center at The Star. The 2026 game is also scheduled there.

Do I need to dress for cold weather at the Frisco Bowl?

No. The building is enclosed and climate-controlled, so rain, wind and cold play no part.

Can I see both Frisco bowl games on one ticket package?

A two-game package has been offered that covers both the December 15 Frisco Football Classic and the December 23 Frisco Bowl.

Frisco Bowl Tickets