Bowling Green Falcons
From Hoopedia
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public four-year institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA; about 20 miles south of Toledo, Ohio on I-75. It was established in 1910; as part of the Lowery Act, which also established Kent State University. For the 2006-2007 academic year BGSU has a student body of about 20,300 of which 3,000 are graduate students. BGSU began as a normal school, or teacher training college, and is currently regarded as one of the leading teacher preparation institutions in the state and country. Students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Development may choose majors from among several teacher licensure areas, including early childhood (grades Pre-K to 3), Middle Childhood (grades 4 - 9), Adolescent-Young Adult (grades 7 - 12), Special Education (grades K - 12), and foreign language (grades K - 12).
BGSU offers over 200 undergraduate programs, as well as master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of areas, including the nation's first Ph.D. program in photochemical science and one of the first undergraduate programs in Neuroscience. In addition, BGSU has accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer full degree programs online. Housed within the School of Communication Studies is the national and international award-winning Falcon Forensics, Speech and Debate Team, established in 1919. Additionally, BGSU is home of the national literary journal The Mid-American Review, which accepts fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.
Bowling Green State University's sports teams are called the Falcons. The Falcons participate in NCAA Division I and in the Mid-American Conference. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the country offering NCAA division I-A football, division I men's and women's basketball, and division I hockey. 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 Bowling Green Dance team performs at many BGSU sporting events. They are well known for their high-energy, spirited performances.
Men's Basketball
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. 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. Current NBA players Antonio Daniels and Keith McLeod also played at BGSU.
Women's Basketball
The Falcons have won three consecutive conference championships in women's basketball in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
