Ed Varney’s Cotton Bowl Performance Goes Viral

The propane industry’s own Ed Varney of Topline Management wowed the 20 million+ people watching the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic with his soulful rendition of the national anthem at the start of the game between Ohio State and University of Texas.

Varney shared that he was “fortunate, honored and humbled to be invited to play” his saxophone at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, where he was accompanied by his wife and three children. Varney, a longtime musician, has been playing the national anthem all over the U.S. for the last seven years. He estimates he has opened more than 50 football, baseball, hockey, and soccer games in that time. Varney stated, “It was fun and I met lots of people. It’s a passion for me. I love our country.” The Cotton Bowl may be his biggest stage yet. His performance was heard by thousands of people present in the stadium, millions of people watching the televised games, garnered 50,000 views on Ed’s Facebook page, and generated 800+ congratulatory texts to Ed immediately after the show.     

Sports media also took note, with fans chiming in with praise. “The Cotton Bowl may want to keep Varney on speed dial. He was that good” The Spun suggested. MSN reported, “The emotional pre-game ceremony and memorable anthem set the perfect tone for the Cotton Bowl Classic. As Texas and Ohio State took the field, fans carried the energy and unity from the anthem into a night of intense college football action. This unique performance will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the highlights of the 2024 College Football Playoff.”

You can hear Ed perform the national anthem live when he helps kick-off the 2025 NPGA Southeastern & International Propane Expo™ at the opening session on Friday, April 4 in Charlotte, NC!