As Falcons return to Bowling Green for Homecoming 2025, we proudly turn the clock back 50 years to celebrate one of the most accomplished and spirited campaigns in BGSU Athletics history—1975. It was a year defined by record-breaking performances, championship moments, and a sense of pride that continues to resonate with every Orange and Brown faithful.

Houston, You Have a Problem

In March of 1975, the Falcon men's basketball team beat Houston at their own game, running and gunning their way to a 121-101 triumph over the Cougars before 5.078 vocal patrons at Anderson Arena. Houston's roster included star players Louis Dunbar and Otis Birdsong, both of whom went on to play professionally (and Dunbar – “Sweet Lou” – had a long career with the Harlem Globetrotters).

That duo combined for 58 points, but the Falcons' Jeff Montgomery stole the show, with 37 points and 13 assists. ‘Monk’ and the Falcons racked up 63 first-half points, making 29 field goals in the opening half to take a 22-point lead. And, the Orange and Brown scored 58 more points after halftime, and BG was never headed. The Falcons' total of 121 points set a school record, as did the two-team total of 222 points inside “The House That Roars.”

Hardwood Heroes

Montgomery would finish his BGSU career with a total of 1,228 career points. Teammate Cornelius Cash wrapped up his Falcon tenure with 1,245 points, and reached the exclusive 1,000-1,000 Club, finishing second in school history with a total of 1,068 career rebounds.

There's no doubt about it. He's a fine guard. He really can control the tempo of the game. He shot well when he had to. He's very quick and he handles the press very well."

Houston Coach Guy Lewis on BGSU's Jeff Montgomery

There's No “L” in Lacrosse

The Falcon lacrosse team went on a 15-match winning streak that extended all the way to 1976 and still stands as one of the longest (tied for 16th) streaks in NCAA Division-I history.

MIckey Cochrane's team won 27-straight conference matches (Mid-West Lacrosse Association) in the mid-1970s, which remains the fourth-best streak in NCAA D-I history.

Cochrane won 77.8 percent of his games from 1966-1975, ranking him 14th among winningest all-time coaches (regardless of division). His mark ranks fifth for those that spent a minimum of 10 years as a Division I head coach.

"Hager's Hotdogs"

A quote from the 1975 Key (BGSU Yearbook): "Around the Women's Building they're known as 'Hager's Hotdogs' — on the court they are the dynamic Bowling Green Women's Basketball team."

Head coach Sue Hager's Falcons went 15-5 overall, beginning the season with a six-game winning streak that included a 56-50 victory over Ohio State at Anderson Arena. The Falcons went on to earn a runner-up in State Tourney competition for the second consecutive year.

The Ice House Gang

In 1974-75, Coach Ron Mason's Ice House Gang sported the best hockey season in BG's short six-year history to that point. The Falcons went 23-10-2 overall and finished second in the CCHA, despite seeing the defensive corps decimated by injuries. The Falcons were rated in the top ten in the nation for ten weeks on the season, and BGSU posted wins over two teams – Boston University (3-2) and Michigan State (7-4) – ranked either first or second in the nation at the time of the games.

Senior Bob Dobek, with 21 goals and 58 assists in ‘74-75 finished out a three-year career which saw him set BGSU’s career marks in assists (134) and points (222). Dobek led the CCHA in scoring for the second consecutive year and was the only unanimous All-CCHA First-Team selection, also for the second-straight year.

The following season, the Falcons went 21-9-2 overall and won the CCHA regular-season title.

Swimmin' Women Are Dominant Again in '75

Coach Jean Campbell's Swimmin' Women boasted five returning All-Americans, and not surprisingly, the team's success continued. The Falcons dominated the annual BG Relay meet and the Mid-American Invitational. During the winter, facing much stiffer competition, the tankers became an international powerhouse in grabbing a decisive first-place finish at the Sixth Annual International Invitational at Waterloo University in Canada.

The Falcons finished on top of 28 teams in the Ohio State Championships, then finished second behind only Michigan State at the Midwest Championships. The 200-meter free-relay team of Gail Sailer, Betsy Fisher, Valerie Newell, and Becky Siesky broke the '74 National record (1:42.8) with a time of 1:41.45.

The culmination of the season came when 11 swimmers traveled to Tempe, Ariz., for the Swimming Nationals. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, BG placed in the top 40 out of 139 teams. Barb McKee, Fisher, Siesky, Sailer, Sharon Ackron, and Newell were named All-Americans after the meet.

“Barb McKee is the best all-around swimmer we’ve ever had at Bowling Green. Barb is a tireless worker and a cool competitor.”

-- BGSU Coach Jean Campbell

Other Highlights and Falcon-Riffic Moments

• The win over Houston gave the men's basketball Falcons a seven-game winning streak. Both BG and Central sported 9-4 league marks prior to the season's finale which paired both teams in a showdown at Anderson Arena. The teams battled through an overtime thriller. After scoring 32 points in regulation, Jeff Montgomery had to leave the game with leg cramps, and the Chippewas were able to pull out a victory in the extra session.
• But, the season was not over, as Pat Haley's team received a bid to the National Commissioner's Invitational Tournament in Louisville, Ky. In that tourney, the Falcons upset Tennessee before falling to the tourney's eventual champion, Drake. ‘Monk’ was named to the All-NCIT team while also earning All-MAC Second-Team honors.
• Cornelius ‘June’ Cash was named to the All-MAC First Team after leading the league in rebounds.

• On the ice, numerous Falcons showed their immense skill. Doug Ross and freshman Mike Hartman each scored 34 goals and over 60 total points in ‘74-75, with Ross named to the All-CCHA First Team and Hartman earning second-team honors. Hartman set the Falcons’ freshman goal-scoring record.
• In the Falcons' win over top-ranked Boston University, three future Olympians played in the game; BGSU’s Dobek and Ross and BU’s Mike Eruzione.
• Roger Archer, Mike Liut and Al Sarachman joined Dobek and Ross on the All-CCHA First Team.

• Under new coach Charles Simpson, the women's gymnastics team posted a 5-2 dual meet record, and finished second in the Ohio State Championships. Theresa Hoover took top honors in the Ohio State Championships on the balance beam.
• Baseball standout Kip Young was named a finalist for the Lefty Gomez Plate Award, solidifying his place as one of the nation's 20 best amateur players. Meanwhile, teammate Joe Meyer was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team.
• On the diamond, the Falcons' wins included victories over both Michigan (4-0 on the road) and Notre Dame (5-1 at home).

• The 1975 football Falcons finished with a record of 8-3. Coach Don Nehlen's team won six-straight games early in the season, including a 23-21 win over Brigham Young and a 34-17 home victory over Toledo. BGSU also drubbed Kent State, 35-9, in a game played at Cleveland Stadium as part of the first Mid-American Conference football doubleheader.

• Prior to the season, a different kind of event was held at Perry Stadium. On June 1, 1975, the venue hosted the Poe Ditch Music Festival.  The May 9 edition of the BG News announced the lineup as including Marshall Tucker, ZZ Top, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Richie Havens, Daryl Hall and John Oates, the Outlaws and Golden Earring, but the final lineup wound up including the Outlaws, Pure Prairie League, Styx, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Richie Havens, Montrose, Golden Earring and Johnny Winter.
• Following the concert, University President Hollis Moore said, "The large scale rock concert experiment will not be repeated" at the University.

• The women's tennis team, coached by Janet Parks, finished with a 10-1 record

• The men's golf team won both the MAC Invitational and the Bronco Invitational, with Ken Walters capturing the individual title at the latter event.

• Under coach Dolores Black, the women's golf team captured the Ohio State Championship.

• The men's soccer team went 6-3-2, posting a fifth consecutive winning season under head coach Mickey Cochrane.

From the roaring crowds at the Doyt and Anderson Arena, to record-shattering days on the links and in the pool, to the emergence of the Ice House Gang as a national power, 1975 was a year that embodied Falcon pride.

So, as we gather this Homecoming to celebrate the past, we honor the teams and athletes who wore the Orange and Brown 40 years ago with grit, excellence, and heart.

Who’s Got it Better Than Us?
Nobody.