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Bowling Green Falcons
UniversityBowling Green State University
ConferenceMid-American Conference,
CCHA (Hockey)
NCAADivision I
(Division I FBS in Football)
Athletic directorGreg Christopher
LocationBowling Green, OH
Varsity teams7 men and 10 women
Football stadiumDoyt Perry Stadium
Basketball arenaAnderson Arena
Other venuesBGSU Ice Arena
MascotFreddie and Frieda Falcon
NicknameFalcons
Fight song"Forward Falcons" & "Ay Ziggy Zoomba"
ColorsOrange and Brown
   
Websitebgsufalcons.com

Bowling Green State University's sports teams are called the Falcons. The Falcons participate in NCAA Division I (Division I FBS for football) and in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the country offering NCAA Division I FBS football, Division I men's and women's basketball, and Division I hockey. The Falcons have won three consecutive conference championships in women's basketball in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The women's soccer team captured the conference crown. The Falcons' main rivals are the Rockets of the University of Toledo. Separated by just 20 miles on Interstate 75, the two schools celebrate a heated rivalry in several sports. The most well-known of these games is the Battle of I-75, a football game held each year in which the winner takes home the Peace Pipe, an American Indian peace pipe placed upon a wood tablet.

The 1984 Falcons hockey team defeated the University of Minnesota-Duluth, in the longest college hockey championship game in history, to win the NCAA National Championship, Bowling Green's first and only Division I National Championship.

Notable Falcon Athletes

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Several notable athletes have played collegiately for Bowling Green State University. Amongst the most memorable is NBA legend Nate Thurmond. Thurmond, whose number 42 is the only basketball number retired by the university, graduated in 1963 before eventually being named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History[1]. Bowling Green also was the collegiate home to one of the NBA's first ever draft picks, Chuck Share, who was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1950 NBA Draft[2]. Current NBA players Antonio Daniels and Keith McLeod also played at BGSU.

BGSU's hockey team perhaps has provided the school with the greatest number of notable athletes. Two of its players were on the "Miracle on Ice" U.S. hockey team that captured the 1980 Winter Olympics gold medal: Ken Morrow and Mark Wells. Rob Blake also captured a gold medal for his country as Canada took up the top prize during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Two Falcons have also won the Hobey Baker award, given to the top collegiate hockey player each season: George McPhee (1982) and Brian Holzinger (1995). In 1984 the Bowling Green Hockey Team won the National Championship in one of the longest games in college hockey history. Geno Cavillini scored at 7:11 in the 4th overtime to give the Falcons their first college hockey national championship. Also advancing to the NHL was current Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Ken Klee.

Omar Jacobs became a household name to college football fans during his two years of starting for the Falcons. As the starting quarterback in 2004, he passed for 4,002 yards and set the NCAA record for TD to INT rate, at 41 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He entered the 2005 season on the Heisman radar nationwide, but he didn't have as good of a season as 2004, and he missed two starts due to injury.

Don Nehlen is perhaps one of the more memorable Falcon football players and coaches. He played quarterback for BG during his playing days before coaching the Falcons for nine seasons from 1968-1976. Nehlen went on to coach West Virginia University where he would receive national attention. The legendary coach joined the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Doyt Perry is another Hall of Fame coach who led the Falcons from 1955 through 1964. The university's football stadium is now named in his honor. More recently, Urban Meyer coached the Falcons for two seasons in 2001 and 2002 before leaving for the University of Utah. Meyer is currently the head coach at the University of Florida which he led to the BCS National Championship in 2007.

Football

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See also: 2009 Bowling Green Falcons football team
Main article: Bowling Green Falcons football

The Bowling Green Falcons football team plays at Doyt Perry Stadium on the east end of the BGSU campus. The Falcons are a historical MAC powerhouse winning ten conference championships, second only to rival Miami (Ohio) (13). Bowling Green has three prominent rivals including Miami (Ohio) and Kent State, but their fiercest rival is Toledo, with the two competing in the Battle of I-75 with the game's winner taking home the Peace Pipe trophy. The Falcons and Kent State also compete for the Anniversary Award which commemorates the two institutions' founding in 1910 with the passing of the Lowry bill. Famous Falcon football players include Kory Lichtensteiger, Shaun Suisham and Don Nehlen (who would also become head football coach at Bowling Green). Notable Bowling Green coaches include College Football Hall of Fame members Doyt Perry and Don Nehlen, as well as current Florida coach Urban Meyer.

  • MAC titles: 1956, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1992
  • MAC East division titles: 2007
  • MAC West division titles: 2003
  • NWOIAA titles: 1921, 1922, 1925, 1928, 1929
  • Undefeated seasons: 1928, 1956, 1959
  • Bowl appearances: 1982, 1985, 1991, 1992, 2003, 2004, 2008


Basketball

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Men's basketball

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See also: 2008-09 Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball team
Main article: Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball
  • MAC titles: 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1981, 1983, 1997, 2000, 2009
  • MAC East division titles: 2000, 2009
  • NCAA Tournament appearances: 1959, 1962, 1963, 1968
  • NIT appearances: 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2002
  • NIT Runner-up: 1945
  • NIT 3rd place: 1949

Women's basketball

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The Bowling Green Falcons women's basketball team has had a long standing tradition of success, rivaling only the school's football team as the most prominent athletic team at the university. The women's basketball team has won nine conference tournaments, four regular season championships and five division championships. The women's basketball team has made the NCAA tournament nine times and the AIAW tournament (the predecessor to the NCAA tournament) twice, posting an overall tournament record of 6-12. The 2006-07 team became the first women's basketball team from the MAC to reach the Sweet Sixteen after defeating 10th-seeded Oklahoma State 70–60 and upset 2nd-seeded Vanderbilt 60–59.

The current head coach of the Falcons is Curt Miller, who has posted 150-68 record in seven season as head coach. Miller has also lead the Falcons to three consecutive conference tournament championships (2005-07) and five consecutive regular season championships (2005-09).

  • MAC titles: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
  • MAC Tournament titles: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • NCAA Tournament appearances: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • NCAA Sweet Sixteen: 2007
  • WNIT appearances: 1998, 2008
  • AIAW Tournament appearances: 1974, 1975

Ice Hockey

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See also: 2008-09 Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey team
Main article: Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey

The Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey team is the only athletic program at Bowling Green State University to win a national title, coming during the 1984 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in Lake Placid, New York. The Falcons defeated Minnesota-Duluth 5–4 in the fourth overtime. The game is the longest NCAA ice hockey game ever played. Prominent coaches Ron Mason and Jerry York spent time as head coaches at Bowling Green before leaving for very successful stints at Michigan State and Boston College respectively.

The Falcons are currently coached by former BG hockey player, Scott Paluch. Paluch has been the Falcons head coach since the 2002-03 season, replacing Buddy Powers. Over seven seasons, Paluch has posted a record of 84-156-23 (.363), with his best season coming during the 2004-05 season in which the Falcons finished in 5th place in the CCHA with a 16-16-4 record. The Falcons have only gotten past the CCHA Tournament First Round once, defeating Lake Superior 2 games to 1, before falling to Miami (Ohio) 2 games to 0 in the CCHA Quarterfinals.

  • CCHA titles: 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987
  • CCHA tournament titles: 1973, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988
  • NCAA Tournament appearances: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
  • National titles: 1984
  • Frozen Four appearances: 1978, 1984

Baseball

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Main article: Bowling Green Falcons baseball

Other Sports

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Club Sports

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Rugby

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The Bowling Green State University Rugby Football Club is known as one of the top ten most prominent collegiate RFCs in the United States. Established in 1968, the club has five clubs of over 80 members and averages nine wins for every loss. BGSU RFC became the first athletic program (varsity or club) to compete outside of North America, touring England (1987, 1995), Wales (2000), South Africa (2002) and Ireland (2005).

BGSU RFC has won 26 Mid American Conference titles, seven Ohio Collegiate titles, eight Michigan Collegiate titles and has received seven National Collegiate Championship bids. BGSU RFC plays their home matches on the Rugby Field on the northwest corner of the campus. Bowling Green has an all-time record of 1663-358-82. Four Falcons have received All-American honors including: Chuck Tunnacliffe (1986), Tony Konczak (1988), Wes Harmon (1991) and Scott Hogg (2003). Two Falcons have seen call ups to the Eagles by Tunnacliffe and Vince Staropoli in 1999.

Bowling Green is currently ranked 12th in the nation with a 15-0-1 record.

Wrestling

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The Bowling Green Falcons wrestling team is the wrestling team that represents Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green competes at the club level in the NCWA's North Central Conference and are perennial contenders for the North Central Conference crown.

The 2009 North Central Conference Tournament was hosted by three-time defending NCWA champion Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan. Out of 17 teams, Bowling Green placed fourth with two wrestlers placing at the tournament, both in third.

Ice Hockey

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The Bowling Green Falcons men's club ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents Bowling Green State University at the club level. The team is a member of ACHA Division II in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Hockey Association.

The club finished the 2008-09 season 15-11-0-0, securing a 10th seed in the Southeast Regional tournament. The club would lose in the first round of the regional to Miami (Ohio), 3–2.

Lacrosse

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The Bowling Green Falcons lacrosse team is the lacrosse team that represents Bowling Green State University. The lacrosse team competes at the club level designated as a Division II club by the National College Lacrosse League and competes in the North Division of the Midwest Conference. The team competes on the Intramural Fields just to the east of BGSU Ice Arena and Mickey Cochrane Stadium and south of Doyt Perry Stadium.

The team looks to improve on an unimpressive 2008 season in which they finished 0-2 (0-1), placing the team tied for 7th in the North Division.

Other sports

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Other sports participating at the club level at Bowling Green State University include:

Facilities

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Doyt Perry Stadium

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Main article: Doyt Perry Stadium

Doyt Perry Stadium is home to Bowling Green's football team. Named in honor of former football coach Doyt Perry, the stadium was opened in 1966 replacing University Stadium. Through 37 seasons, the Bowling Green Falcons enjoyed an impressive 126-58-6 record at Doyt Perry Stadium. The stadium underwent a renovation in 1982 to expand its seating capacity from 23,272 to 30,599. The stadium and MAC attendance record was set in 1983 when 33,527 fans saw Toledo defeat Bowling Green 6–3 in the annual Battle of I-75. The Doyt hosted its first Big Ten opponent on September 6, 2008 as the Falcons were defeated by Minnesota 42–17.

Sebo Athletic Center

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The Sebo Athletic Center was opened in 2007 and is located at the north end of Doyt Perry Stadium. The 33,500 sq. ft. center was named after J. Robert and Karen Sebo who donated $4.4 million to the project.[3] Sebo Athletic Center is home to sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, strength and training facilities, coaches offices, teaching space for coaches and players, video equipment and viewing room and team meeting rooms.[4]

Anderson Arena

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Main article: Anderson Arena

Anderson Arena is home to Bowling Green's men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the gymnastics and volleyball teams. Dubbed the "House that Roars", Anderson Arena is named after former men's basketball coach, Harold Anderson.

Stroh Center

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The Bowling Green basketball teams and volleyball team will move into a new, state-of-the art convocation center in 2012. The 5,000-seat facility will be named the Stroh Center, after Kermit and Mary Lu Stroh who donated $7.7 million to the project.[5][6] The Stroh Center will also be home to the largest falcon statue in the world, a gift from North Carolina philanthropist Irwin Belk.[7]

BGSU Ice Arena

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Main article: BGSU Ice Arena

BGSU Ice Arena is home to Bowling Green's men's hockey team. Opened in 1967, the arena is located on the east end of campus across from the Student Recreation Center. The University had planned to renovate the arena in 2009, but has since postponed the upgrades due to the current economic situation.

Steller Field

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Main article: Warren E. Steller Field

Warren E. Steller Field has been home to the Falcons baseball team since 1964. The field is named in honor of Warren E. Steller, a former instructor at the school who coached the school's football (1924-34) and baseball (1925, 1928-59) teams. The stadium is located on the Bowling Green campus, next to BGSU Ice Arena and across the street from Perry Field House.

Other Facilities

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Mickey Cochrane Stadium is home to the Bowling Green's men's and women's soccer teams. Opened in 1966, the stadium was renamed on October 11, 1980 in honor of Bowling Green's first men's soccer coach. The stadium was renovated in 1993 and 1994, which included the installation of a permanent grandstand that seats 1,500. Cochrane Stadium is also home to the United States Youth Soccer Association's Olympic Development Program Region II camps. The stadium, which is located behind BGSU Ice Arena, has been listed as one of the finest pitches in the Midwestern United States.[8]

Cooper Pool is home to Bowling Green's women's swimming and diving team. Cooper Pool is located in the Student Recreation Center on the east end of campus.

Whittaker Track is home to Bowling Green's women's track and field team. Located northeast of Doyt Perry Stadium, Whittaker Track underwent a renovation in 2007 and was reopened in 2008 in time to host the MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[9]

Pagentry

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The Falcons

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Before 1927, BG teams were called the Normals or Teachers. Ivan Lake (’23) suggested the nickname after reading an article on falconry. Lake, managing editor and sports editor of the Sentinel-Tribune in Bowling Green at the time, proposed the name change because it fit headline space and because falcons were “the most powerful bird for their size and often attacked birds two or three times their size.”

Bowling Green's athletic teams have been known as the "Falcons" ever since.[10]

School colors

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The historical story behind how BGSU began using Brown and Orange as its school colors dates back to 1914.

Dr. Homer B. Williams, the university's first President, gathered a group of people which included a Dr. L.L. Winslow from Industrial Arts as a selection committee for the school's new colors. While on an a trolley to Toledo, Dr. Winslow sat behind a woman wearing a large hat adorned with beautiful brown and orange feathers. Dr. Winslow was so interested in the color scheme of the pair that he convinced the committee to approve the combination of Brown and Orange.[11]

School songs

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Bowling Green State University has three common songs that can be heard at various athletic and academic events. These three songs are the Alma Mater, "Forward Falcons" which is the school's fight song, and "Ay Ziggy Zoomba" which is played to hype up the crowd at events, which is more familiar to most students, alumni, and fans.[12][13]

Freddie and Frieda Falcon

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Main article: Freddie and Frieda Falcon

Freddie and Frieda Falcon are the mascots for Falcons athletics. The pair are anthropomorphized Peregrine Falcons. They are somewhat of a rarity among collegiate mascots, being one of the few male-female mascot pairs in existence. In 2006 they were both named “Best Collegiate Mascot” at the 2006 NCA Cheer Camp in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt University. [14] Freddie first appeared at Bowling Green sporting events in 1950. Frieda made her first appearance in 1966, but did not become an official mascot until 1980.[15]

SICSIC

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Main article: Sic Sic

SICSIC are a six member, anonymous pep squad and the official spirit crew for BGSU, which began in 1946. SICSIC members adorn Halloween masks throughout their time with the organization and remain anonymous until the final home basketball game of the member's senior year, where they are unmasked in front of the student body.[16]

BGSU Athletic Hall of Fame

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Any former BG student-athlete out of school for at least 10 years, a coach, or a contributor to BGSU athletics is eligible for induction into the BGSU Athletic Hall of Fame. Athletes who leave school early are not eligible to be placed on the ballot until 10 years after what would have been their senior year. Portraits of each of the over nearly 200 inductees are on display in the lobby of the BGSU Ice Arena. BG’s 1984 NCAA championship squad was inducted in 1993 as the first “team” ever named to the Hall of Fame.

References

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  1. ^ NBA.com: The NBA at 50
  2. ^ 1950 NBA Draft - Basketball-Reference.com
  3. ^ Held, Chayse (2007-06-13). "BGSU Unveils Sebo Center". BG News. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  4. ^ "Sebo Athletic Center Information". BGSUFalcons.com. 2005-06-06. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  5. ^ "BGSU Receives $8 Million, the Largest Gift in its Nearly 100-Year History". BGSUFalcons.com. 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2008-03-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Gilbert, Meghan (March 1, 2008). "$8M gift to BGSU is largest in its history". Toledo Blade. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdatee= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Falcon Statue to be a Part of the Stroh Center". BGSUFalcons.com. July 16, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdatee= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Mickey Cochrane Stadium". BGSUFalcons.com. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  9. ^ "Whittaker Track opens for MAC Championship at BGSU, Falcons place 11th". BG News. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  10. ^ "Traditions". BGSUsports.com. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  11. ^ "Why Brown & Orange?". BGSUFalcons.com. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  12. ^ "Bowling Green State University Traditions". Bowling Green State University. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  13. ^ "BGSU Songs". BGSUFalcons.com. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  14. ^ "Freddy and Frieda". BGFile.com. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  15. ^ "History of Freddie and Frieda Falcon". Bowling Green State University. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  16. ^ "The Spirit Crew". Sic Sic. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
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