The Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993. The company has its headquarters in Northfield Township, Illinois, near Northbrook. Its current advertising campaign, in use since 2004, asks, "Are you in good hands?" The corporate spokesperson is Dennis Haysbert.
The Cotton Bowl Classic is a college football bowl game that pits the second-choice team of the Big 12 against the third- or fourth-choice team of the SEC. The game was played annually since 1937 at its namesake stadium in Dallas, Texas. The bowl traditionally hosted the champion of the Southwest Conference prior to its merger into the Big 12. Their opponents varied, but were often second- or third-place teams in Southeastern Conference or major independents.