On October 28, 1927, the nickname “Falcons” was originated for teams representing Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green State University was then a struggling State Normal College but it already was trying to shake the “normal” part of the title to communicate the idea that it was by then a degree granting institution. Common nicknames, used by sports writers throughout the state, were “B.G. Normals,” “Teachers,” and the “B.G. Pedagogues.” The current mascot was created by the sports editor of the Daily Sentinel-Tribune. He thought the nickname was fitting because it was indicative of a powerful bird that was small in stature, its coloring represented the  Bowling Green school colors, and like the athlete, the falcon is a bird that goes through a long period of training before battle.

Back in the sixties, for either Parent’s Day or Homecoming, Jim Fowler, Marlin Perkin’s assistant on “Wild Kingdom,” was invited to bring his falcons to Bowling Green. The plan was that he would fly his falcons around the football stadium at halftime and delight the crowd. Before the game Mr. Fowler gave a small lecture and demonstration in the University Ballroom. Everything went well.

To be further assured that the halftime show would run smoothly, Mr. Fowler took his falcons for a dry run at the stadium and it was a good thing that he did. Falcons, being the flying and fighting birds that they are, attack anything that is airborne. In this case, when released, the falcons began attacking the flags. Certainly, if repeated at halftime, this would not be the aerodynamic spectacle that it was intended to be. Thus, when the audience viewed the falcons at halftime, the birds were hooded so they would not see the flags. So much interest was generated that BGSU soon obtained their own falcons, through funding by groups such as the Alumni and Parents Club. The falcons were kept at a small house on Troupe Street near the studios of Channel 27.

The students who trained and kept the falcons were always distinguishable by their bright orange jackets. The trainers always brought the falcons out on the field during the half time shows, and often the birds would fly away and get lost. The next to the last falcon flew away during a demonstration and was never found. The very last falcon was donated to the Toledo Zoo where it could be kept in style.