Who performed the Cotton Bowl national anthem, halftime show for Ohio State vs. Texas?

This College Football Playoff has had an awful lot of National Anthem chatter as of late, particularly following the postponed Sugar Bowl, when the Anthem wasn’t aired on ESPN. Thursday’s first CFP semifinal matchup between Notre Dame and Penn State in the Orange Bowl featured a broadcasted National Anthem that received almost entirely positive reactions for the young singer’s vocal range and rendition. And we can be hopeful for similar reactions during Friday night’s Cotton Bowl matchup between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State, the winner of which will advance to the CFP National Championship. 

Despite some inclement weather hitting the Dallas-Fort Worth area, kickoff is still planned for 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium. But who can we expect for performances this evening?

Who is singing the national anthem before the Ohio State-Texas Cotton Bowl matchup?

No one is singing the national anthem at the Cotton Bowl because it will instead be performed on the saxophone by Dallas-area musician Boston Ed Varney.

While local fans will get a taste of the musical stylings of DJ Diesel, aka Shaquille O'Neal, who is headlining the FanFest portion of Friday’s Cotton Bowl, the average viewer won’t have access there. You can, however, tune in to the pre-game coverage and National Anthem, performed by Varney.

Varney may not be a household name in terms of releasing records but, per his events bookings page, has performed with numerous bands throughout his music career in addition to also performing the national anthem on the saxophone for various sporting events. Most notably given the Cotton Bowl's location, Varney has previously performed the "Star-Spangled Banner" at GlobeLife Field ahead of a Texas Rangers game in MLB.

According to the official Cotton Bowl Fan Guide as well, while the broadcast is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, actual kickoff won't be until closer to 7:45 p.m. ET as the national anthem is scheduled to be played at 7:34 p.m. ET.

Who is performing the Cotton Bowl halftime show at the CFP semifinal?

In an effort to highlight the traditions of the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes, both university marching bands will be performing at the halftime show of the 2025 Cotton Bowl. Additionally, the Kilgore College Rangerettes, one of the most well-known drill teams in the country, will make their 75th appearance at the Cotton Bowl. Viewers hoping for a bit of Americana will get their share.