Jason Delgado
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wagered with Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur on Tuesday, betting that the Florida Gators will defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 2020 Cotton Bowl Classic college football game on Wednesday.
Fried, a University of Florida graduate, will donate to the Oklahoma FFA Foundation if the Gators win. Should the Sooners win, Arthur will donate to No Kid Hungry Florida.
The Oklahoma FFA Foundation supports future farmers and the state’s agriculture, food, and forestry industries. No Kid Hungry Florida, meanwhile, is a nonprofit fighting child hunger.
“Even in this year of unprecedented difficulties for farmers and families, college football gives us a reason to cheer — and there’s no better game this year than the Cotton Bowl between the Gators and the Sooners,” Fried said. “Thank you to Secretary Arthur for accepting the challenge on behalf of Oklahoma agriculture. No matter who wins, we’ll support our future farmers and help feed hungry children as we look toward a brighter year ahead.”
Commissioner Fried announced the friendly wager via a social media video.
Today, I challenged @OklahomaAg Secretary Blayne Arthur to a friendly bet on the @CottonBowlGame between @GatorsFB and @OU_Football.
A Gators win means a donation to @OKFFA; a Sooners win nets a donation to @NoKidHungry.
May the best team win, Secretary! #GoGators #LikeNoOther pic.twitter.com/TwdlnRLGtH
— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) December 29, 2020
Notably, both women are the first to serve in the role in their respective states.
“I appreciate Commissioner Fried for initiating a friendly wager on the Cotton Bowl game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators,” Arthur said. “While both bets on the line will benefit our youth, I am eager and confident in our Sooners and look forward to sending a donation to the No Kid Hungry nonprofit of Florida! Good luck, Commissioner!”
The 2020 Cotton Bowl Classic will take place at 8 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and can be viewed on ESPN.
The 6th ranked Sooners are favored to beat the 7th ranked Florida Gators, per ESPN.
The Gator’s finished the 2020 college football season 8-3 while the Sooners closed the season 8-2.
Wednesday’s matchup will be Oklahoma’s sixth straight New Year’s Six Bowl appearance and Florida’s third. The New Year’s Six is an unofficial term referring to the top six major NCAA Division 1 football bowl games.
