Jerry Jones' crowning achievement will bag another jewel soon: college football's national championship game.
Cowboys Stadium is a "virtual lock" to host the first national title clash in the new four-team playoff format, sources told ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy.
The game would be played Jan. 12, 2015 in Arlington, Texas.
Wednesday was the deadline for host sites to submit bids for the game. According to sources in the ESPN report, only North Texas and Tampa Bay, Fla. submitted bids, with many other declining because Cowboys Stadium was such a clear favorite to get the game.
The 2014 season will be the first played with a four-team playoff, replacing the current BCS system which matches just the top two teams.
BCS commissioners are expected to award announce the venue for the inaugural game, as well as other details such as a name and logo, when they meet April 23-25 in Pasadena, Calif.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl, which is played at Cowboys Stadium, is expected to be one of six bowls that will serve as semifinal games on a rotating basis. The first two semifinal games, played Jan. 1, 2015, will be the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl presented by Vizio.
Cowboys Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011 and will host the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four. The stadium is host to the NCAA men's basketball tournament's South Regional this weekend.
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
