Future of Heart of Dallas bowl in doubt after council vote delayed on subsidy

The future of the only college bowl game to take place inside Dallas city limits is up in the air.

The Dallas City Council on Wednesday opted to delay a vote on whether to give more than a quarter-million taxpayer dollars to ESPN.

The council already rejected the sports network's first ask of $800,000 to keep the sparsely-attended Heart of Dallas bowl at the Cotton Bowl.

ESPN reduced its price to $300,000 to broadcast the December game, but that could be a problem as well. The 15-member council needs a three-quarters majority to approve public-private deals.

As of Wednesday, there won't be enough votes come the September 12 decision day. Four members have already said they will vote no.

The bowl game made its debut in 2011 in the wake of the venerable Cotton Bowl game decamping Fair Park and moving to AT&T Stadium in Arlington.