Origin of the team name for Bowling Green Falcons

 

Origin of the team name for Bowling Green Falcons

The Bowling Green Falcons got their name in 1927. The name was chosen by Ivan Lake, a BG alumnus and football player on the original team. 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.

Prior to 1927, BG teams were called the Normals or Teachers.

A brief history of Bowling Green Falcons

The Bowling Green Falcons are a college athletic team from Bowling Green, Ohio. They are a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Falcons have 17 varsity sports teams: baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

The Falcons' athletic teams were originally known as the Normals or Teachers. However, in 1927, the name was changed to the Falcons, after Ivan Lake, a BG alumnus and football player on the original team, proposed the name change because it fit the headline space and because falcons were "the most powerful birds for their size and often attacked birds two or three times their size."

The Falcons have a long and storied history, dating back to 1919. They have won 12 MAC championships in football, 11 MAC championships in men's basketball, and 10 MAC championships in women's basketball. They have also appeared in 13 bowl games, winning 6 of them.

The Falcons are one of the most successful teams in the MAC. They have a rich tradition of success, and they continue to be a force to be reckoned with in their conference and in the NCAA.