BOWLING GREEN – When you think about Bowling Green State University, your mind might wander to school colors or the fight song, but for sports fans it’s undoubtedly the falcon.
When it comes to bringing the bird of prey to life, nobody does it better than students in the mascot costumes of Freddie and Frieda Falcon.
Near the end of every basketball season, the masked birds get the spotlight they deserve. One of those birds is Danielle Cain, unveiled to Falcon fans after BGSU’s home rivalry game against Toledo on Feb. 22.
“Once I was at the game, I was very anxious watching the clock. The timer was going down very fast for some reason. Even when I got to interact with the crowd, it felt like I was only out there for five minutes before I had to go back and get ready for my reveal,” Cain recalled that day.
Cain, a senior majoring in criminal justice, was joined at the Battle of I-75 game by five other students who had to hide their “secret identity” from family, friends and the public for a year: Cam Drake; Will McLean; Kyle Negin; Lilah Nye; and Hannah Super.
“I’d say the closest I’ve been to being caught was there was a period where I had a lot of events in a row and I missed some scholarship things,” junior Hannah Super admitted. “So a lot of people were looking for me and questioning where I was and if I was actually where I said I was.”
The stress these students experience by having a double life is not lost on director of spirit Tyler Bill, Bowling Green’s coordinator of Spirit Programs.
The tradition has long been a part of BGSU history, beginning in 1950 when Freddie Falcon debuted during a home basketball game against Ohio University. Frieda first joined Freddie in 1966 as Mrs. Freddie Falcon and was then reintroduced in 1980 as Freddie’s little sister and sidekick.
This year marks a milestone as Freddie Falcon turns 75 years old. The university is celebrating with a birthday bash during Homecoming in September.
“We have a bunch of events planned, essentially leading up to reveal, that get them connected with alums and get them to be able to tell their stories and get their jitters out before reveal,” Bill explained.
Despite it not being the first time Bill has walked a “flock” of Freddies and Friedas through an event like this, Bill said that the enjoyment of seeing the student’s hard work pay off never gets old.
“I feel like a very proud parent; it’s really crazy to think of where they start and where they end up. Throughout the year, it’s never been about them, it’s been about giving back,” Bill said. “It’s really nice for them to get their flowers and be applauded for all that they do; this crew has already done 900 hours in suits in over 300 events, which is tremendous.”
With the sheer time commitment being massive for a single year, it should come as no surprise that the concept of being Freddie and Frieda sticks in the identities of the students for the rest of their lives.
Many Frieda and Freddie alumni attended the Feb. 22 game to show their love and support to the current mascots, including Bailee Phillips, who was Frieda Falcon from 2017-2018.
“This is my first year being back at reveal since 2020. It’s really cool seeing a lot of my friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. The birds actually came to my wedding. One of my bridesmaids was Frieda, so honestly, BG is a huge part of me,” Phillips said.
Throughout the event, it was clear that the falcons not only represented BGSU, but also a community with a shared experience and singular goal – to make people smile and cheer.
“Being able to see that one person that may not seem too happy or too in the mood and make them smile…any change that you can do to give them a positive experience leaves a special place in your heart,” said Freddie Kyle Negin said.
The application to be Freddie and Frieda for the next season is now closed – applications ended on Feb. 26 at midnight. But that means that the next Freddie or Frieda could be anyone, even a close friend.
The birds will be on the court a few more times during the MAC Tournament at Rocket Arena in Cleveland:
- Women: No. 6 BGSU will play against No. 3 Buffalo in the quarterfinals on March 12 (Game 4).
- Men: #8 seed BGSU will take on No. 1 Akron in the quarterfinals on March 13 at 11 a.m. (Game 1)
