The Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes play tonight in Arlington in a bid to head to the national championship.

Why it matters: UT, one of the nation's storied programs, last won a national championship at the end of the 2005 season.

• North Texans make up a bulk of the Longhorns roster.

Driving the news: The game is scheduled to continue despite this week's winter weather.

The big picture: Ohio State, coming off a 41-21 thrashing of top-ranked Oregon, is favored by 6 points in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

• UT squeaked into the semifinal by emerging from a roller coaster of a game over Arizona State in double-overtime.

Zoom in: More than two dozen UT players are from Dallas-Fort Worth, including the team's biggest stars — quarterback Quinn Ewers of Southlake, running back Quintrevion Wisner of DeSoto and center Jake Majors of Prosper.

• Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. of Denton is the leading UT tackler this season. Duncanville grad Colin Simmons, an edge rusher, leads the team in sacks.
• Kicker Bert Auburn of Flower Mound holds the Longhorn record for most field goals made, though he missed two field goal attempts against Arizona State.

Fun fact: Ewers was the top-ranked recruit nationally while playing at Carroll High School, earning a spot in the 2022 All-American Bowl.

• He was initially an Ohio State student before transferring to UT in January 2022.

The other side: Ohio State has two North Texans, but they're not starters.

• Linebacker Payton Pierce is from Lucas and cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt is from Waxahachie.

The intrigue: AT&T Stadium is 200 miles from Austin — and just over 1,000 from Columbus, Ohio.

• UT might be able to amplify its home field advantage if Ohio State fans' travel is delayed or canceled due to winter weather.

How to watch: The game airs at 6:30pm on ESPN.

What's next: The winner plays Notre Dame in the Jan. 20 national championship game in Atlanta.

North Texas sports venues are joining the nationwide trend of revamping stadiums to give fans a more immersive experience.

Why it matters: Cities are investing in sports and entertainment districts with hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions surrounding stadiums.

Zoom in: Last fall, SMU unveiled Gerald J. Ford Stadium's $100 million renovation project that added 192,500 square feet of athlete facilities and new luxury fan seating.

• AT&T Stadium is getting upgraded technology and premium spaces ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.
• The Dallas Wings plan to move from Arlington to the Dallas Memorial Auditorium in downtown Dallas. The auditorium's renovations are slated to be completed in 2026.
• Toyota Stadium is undergoing an estimated $182 million in renovations to add shade, new suite levels and other amenities by 2028.

The intrigue: Designers are also experimenting with ways to activate stadiums during away games so home fans can share in the experience.

• The Mavericks, Stars and Cowboys have all hosted watch parties at their venues for key away games.
• While playing in Edmonton, Canada, in the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, the Stars used AI to project player and puck movements at American Airlines Center.

Zoom out: The L.A. Clippers' roughly $2 billion Intuit Dome features interactive controllers attached to every seat, a section for only Clippers fans and a Jumbotron decked out with T-shirt cannons designed to reach fans in the upper deck.

What we're watching: Whether the Dallas Mavericks will get a new arena.

Hosting big events at Jerryworld in Arlington seems to encourage snowy, winter weather.

The big picture: Longtime North Texas residents probably remember the 2011 ice storm during Super Bowl XLV, when the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

• But the snowiest day was actually the year before — when AT&T Stadium hosted the NBA All-Star Game.

The latest: DFW Airport recorded 2.2 inches of snow yesterday. But areas of Collin and Denton counties saw 3-6 inches, while areas to the south saw less than an inch.

Flashback: Most of Dallas-Fort Worth recorded more than a foot of snow Feb. 11-12, 2010. DFW Airport saw a record 12.5 inches in 24 hours, per the National Weather Service.

• North Texas saw less snow when hosting the Super Bowl. Some areas got more than 6 inches. Dallas Love Field recorded 5.1 inches Feb. 3-4, 2011.

Zoom out: Other parts of Texas haven't seen record snowfall since the 1920s, according to a NOAA record of snowfall extremes.

🏀 Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, a two-time all-star, is leaving the team. (Sports Illustrated)

❌ Over 1,000 flights were canceled yesterday at DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field because of snow. (WFAA)

🛍️ JCPenney is merging with the parent company of Aéropostale and Brooks Brothers to form a new Plano-based company. (DMN)

✈️ Frontier Airlines announced new nonstop flights between DFW and JFK Airport in New York. (CultureMap)

Dry January may not seem like the ideal time to try a Tiki known to serve strong, fruity cocktails.

• But this Fort Worth bar has the best Tiki drinks in the region and offers up equally good booze-free options.

Vibe check: Like a true Tiki experience, Tarantula Tiki has Polynesian-inspired decor, dark lighting, bamboo-lined walls and plenty of rum-based cocktails.

• The deep and narrow bar has the feel of being crammed onto a ship — in the best way.

What to order: Shirley Temple of Doom — butterfly pea tea, pineapple, lime, orgeat and coconut cream.

• It's similar to their alcoholic drink the High Priestess of Funk.

Where: Tarantula Tiki, 117 S. Main St. in Fort Worth.

Cost: $8

Six-word review: Tart, juicy, traditional Tiki minus buzz.

📭 Know a drink we should try? Hit reply and tell us.