Bowling Green

What Bowling Green does

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Athletics is the NCAA Division I athletics department of Bowling Green State University, a public university in Bowling Green, Ohio founded in 1910. Operating as the "BGSU Falcons" in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the department fields approximately 20 men's and women's varsity sports programs including football, basketball, ice hockey, baseball, softball, soccer, golf, gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, cross country, track and field, and volleyball. Its primary constituents are enrolled student-athletes, with secondary stakeholder groups comprising alumni donors, fans, regional community members, and corporate sponsors.

The department's commercial and engagement surface is built on a unified digital platform centered on bgsufalcons.com, powered by Sidearm Sports technology infrastructure. Layered around this core are multiple integrated modules: Falcons All-Access (a subscription streaming service for live and on-demand content), Falcon Club (the official donor/alumni membership program), Falcon Outfitters (official Nike sideline apparel e-commerce), ZiggyCast (a podcast hosted by Todd Walker), Falcon Media Sports Network (multimedia coverage), the Future Falcon Kids Club (youth engagement), and a digital ticketing system on the e-venue platform. Content distribution extends through partnerships with ESPN3, Midco Sports/CCHA.tv, and Learfield-managed corporate sponsorships.

BGSU Athletics generates revenue through a mix of ticketing (sport-by-sport pricing), philanthropic contributions via Falcon Club membership levels, merchandise sales through Falcon Outfitters, subscription streaming revenue, and corporate sponsorship deals brokered by Learfield. It also benefits from institutional allocation as a department of a public state university and from NCAA/MAC media and conference distributions. The department's 2025-26 reporting cycle highlighted record-setting Falcon Club fundraising, nine teams achieving perfect 1,000 multi-year NCAA APR scores, a 996 four-year department APR average, and multiple extended academic-honor streaks (Volleyball 26 consecutive AVCA Team Academic Awards; Women's Track and Field 20 consecutive USTFCCCA All-Academic honors).

Name

Bowling Green

Legal name

Bowling Green State University Athletics

Website

https://bgsufalcons.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

BGSU Athletics is the NCAA Division I, Mid-American Conference athletics department of Bowling Green State University, fielding ~20 varsity sports for student-athletes, alumni donors, fans, and corporate sponsors across the Bowling Green, Ohio region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Athletics

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs) (EDALAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB)

Keywords

• University athletics
• College sports programs
• NCAA Division I
• Athletic tickets
• Team merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Bowling Green

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bowling Green operates intercollegiate athletic programs, offering ticketed sporting events, team merchandise, and related fan engagement services for its student athletes and supporters. The organization competes in NCAA Division I athletics across multiple sports including football, basketball, and hockey.

Product overview

BGSU Athletics operates a unified digital platform centered on its official athletics website (bgsufalcons.com), which serves as the hub for all 20 Falcons sports programs. The offering combines a core website with integrated modules including Falcons All-Access (subscription video streaming), the Falcon Club (donor/alumni engagement program), Ziggycast podcasts, Falcon Media Sports Network (multimedia content), digital ticketing, and the Future Falcon Kids Club. The platform is powered by Sidearm Sports technology infrastructure and distributes content through various streaming partners including ESPN3, CCHA.tv, and Midco Sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Falcon Club: Official donor and fundraising arm of BGSU Athletics, supporting student-athletes through charitable contributions
• Falcon Media Sports Network
• Falcon Fanatics
• Future Falcon Kids Club
• Falcon Outfitters
• ZiggyCast

Products and services

• Football Game Tickets

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 teams achieved perfect 1,000 multi-year APR scores
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Falcon ClubcoreOthers · 20 July 2026Falcon Club is the official donor organization for BGSU Athletics, reporting a record-setting year in 2025-26. Supports all athletic programs through member donations and fundraising events.
• LearfieldcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLearfield manages corporate sponsorships and partnerships for BGSU Athletics through their partnership platform. They facilitate corporate sponsorship deals including Falcons Sport Properties branding in footer.
• NikecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNike is the official athletic apparel partner providing official Nike sideline gear through Falcon Outfitters. Nike branding appears on official athletics website footer.
• ESPN3coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESPN3 provides streaming coverage for select BGSU Athletics events, accessible via official athletics website.
• Midco SportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMidco Sports provides streaming coverage for BGSU Hockey games through CCHA.tv partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Toledo Athletics: Toledo is a MAC co-member and fellow Ohio-based public university competing in NCAA Division I across a comparable portfolio of sports; it is BGSU's most direct conference rival with overlapping geographic recruiting and sponsor markets.
• Kent State University Athletics: Kent State is a fellow MAC public university competing in NCAA Division I; the two share the same conference governance, scheduling, and postseason access path, and overlap heavily in Ohio-region talent recruitment.
• Ohio University Athletics: Ohio is a MAC public university with a comparable 20-sport Division I athletics portfolio and similar enrollment scale; it competes with BGSU for Ohio recruits, conference positioning, and regional sponsor dollars.
• Miami University (Ohio) Athletics: Miami OH is a MAC public university in Ohio with an NCAA Division I athletics program; the two share conference membership, donor pool overlap in Ohio, and similar mid-major commercial profiles.
• Central Michigan University Athletics: Central Michigan is a MAC public university competing in NCAA Division I; as a conference peer, it operates under the same media-rights structure and recruits from overlapping Midwest talent pools.
• Western Michigan University Athletics: Western Michigan is a MAC public university with a comparable Division I athletics footprint; it shares the same conference economics, scheduling structure, and broadcast windows as BGSU.
• Eastern Michigan University Athletics: Eastern Michigan is a MAC public university competing in NCAA Division I with a similar athletics portfolio size; the two share MAC governance and a regional Midwest recruiting base.
• Ball State University Athletics: Ball State is a MAC public university with a comparable NCAA Division I athletics program; it competes directly with BGSU for MAC standings, regional sponsorship, and Midwest recruits.
• Northern Illinois University Athletics: Northern Illinois is a MAC public university competing in NCAA Division I, particularly relevant as a football peer; it shares conference economics and a Midwest regional market footprint.
• University of Akron Athletics: Akron is a MAC public university in Ohio with a comparable NCAA Division I athletics department; it shares conference membership and competes with BGSU in Ohio recruiting and regional sponsor markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FalconAthletics
• Facebookfacebook.com/BGFalcons
• Instagraminstagram.com/bgfalcons
• Xx.com/bgathletics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bgsu-athletic-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bowling Green