First to report: Mexico, FC Dallas to play in Cotton Bowl

That’s a little bit underhanded on my part. But since you are reading it here first, I'm giving myself a pass.

Yes, Mexico will play in the Cotton Bowl on Sept. 30.

And, yes, FC Dallas will go back to the future to play in the old Fair Park home, also on Sept. 30.

Details are still being ironed out, but it will be part of a doubleheader, and it’s likely to draw well. Last time Mexico played in North Texas, a crowd of 82,252 filled up Cowboys Stadium.

This one probably won’t attract such a crowd, but any time El Tri shows up in our country, it’s newsworthy. And there’s always a chance for a new soccer record in the state of Texas, as $57 million in recent improvements have added polish to the 78-year-old grounds and increased capacity to 92,000.

This time around, Mexico will face an yet-to-determined opponent. (Update: it's Colombia, according to the official announcement, which was released on Friday.) Word is that officials at Soccer United Marketing – Major League Soccer’s marketing extension, which controls many of the high-level TV rights and soccer properties in the country – are hoping to bring a South American opponent.

Expect the official announcement later this week, with tickets going on sale almost immediately.

My guess is that it will be a mid-level South American opponent (i.e., not Brazil or Argentina). Most likely, look for a country such as Colombia, Chile or Paraguay to face El Tri on that Wednesday night.

It will be the main event, with an FC Dallas match against New England to serve as the appetizer.

Tentative plans call for FC Dallas and the Revolution to kick off at 6 p.m., with Mexico starting at 9 p.m.

FC Dallas may have once resisted pulling games out of Pizza Hut Park, preferring to maximize revenue off the swell park it opened back in 2005.  But as this is a SUM match – one of five per year contracted to the MLS offshoot by Mexico’s national federation – FC Dallas is effectively a partner.

These SUM friendlies are a little more hit-or-miss, in terms of attendance. The four contests in 2009 involving Mexico have drawn 46,550 for a match against Sweden in Oakland, 18,296 against Bolivia in Denver, 51,115 against Venezuela in Atlanta and 30,684 against Guatemala in San Diego.

This will mark the first time FC Dallas has played at the Cotton Bowl since July 2, 2005.

Mexico’s last appearance inside the Cotton Bowl came in April, 2004, with the U.S. national team defeated El Tri before 45,048 at Fair Park.