At the Game: Northern Illinois

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The Bowling Green State University football team plays its final Saturday game of the 2017 season this weekend when it hosts Northern Illinois University at Doyt L. Perry Stadium at 2:00 p.m. on Oct. 21. The Falcons arrive at the contest with a 1-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the Mid-American Conference. That includes a win over Miami and losses to Akron and Ohio. The Huskies are currently 4-2 overall, and their 2-0 record in the MAC puts them in a three-way tie for the lead in the Western DIvision.

BGSU owns a 12-9-0 all-time record against NIU and have won seven of the nine meetings between the two in Bowling Green. The Falcons' most recent win over the Huskies at the Doyt was Oct. 25, 2003, when ESPN's College Gameday was broadcast from the BGSU campus and the nationally-ranked Falcons defeated #12 NIU 34-18. More recently, Bowling Green has defeated Northern Illinois twice in three meetings (2013, 2015) at the MAC Championship Game in Detroit.

Saturday afternoon's game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app with Michael Reghi and Je'Rod Cherry on the call. On the radio, the game can be heard via the Falcon Radio Network and online through the TuneIn app. For those planning to attend the game, please see the information below.

BGSU Game Notes | NIU Game Notes | Mike Jinks Press Conference (Oct. 16)
Game Day Central | ESPN3 Media Player | Live Stats | Live Audio

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Doyt Perry Stadium A-to-Z (Prohibited items information included)
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Schedule of Events:
10:00 a.m. – Falcon Team Store opens (inside Stroh Center, until 3:00 p.m.)
11:00 a.m. – Falcon Football Tailgate Park opens
11:00 a.m. – Ticket Windows at Doyt Perry Stadium Open
11:40 a.m. -- Falcon Team Walk
12:30 p.m. – All Gates Open at Doyt Perry Stadium
12:30 p.m. – Falcon Merchandise Tent (inside Gate 2) and merchandise kiosk (East concourse) open
1:00 p.m. – PreFlight with the Falcon Marching Band (south end of Doyt Perry Stadium)
1:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. -- Falcon Marching Band plays on the field
1:55 p.m. – National Anthem
2:01 p.m. -- Moment of Noise
2:02 p.m. – Team Entrance
2:03 p.m. -- Coin toss with BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees
2:05 p.m. – Kickoff of Northern Illinois at Bowling Green

NEW! BGSU Emoji and Sticker Pack!

Earlier this month, BGSU Athletics announced the availability of a new Falcon-themed emoji and sticker pack, which is available through the Ree app. You can download Ree in the App Store and Google Play. Complete details are available HERE.

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Concessions:
Fans attending Saturday's game will be able to enjoy traditional concession favorites such as hot dogs, brats, burgers, soft pretzels, popcorn and others. New available items for 2017 include chicken caesar wraps, pretzel bites, and grilled chicken sandwiches. In addition, BGSU's new pizza sponsor, Jett's Pizza, will be available on the concourse. Fans can get We-Be-Ribs, which features rib tips, ribs, pulled pork and chicken, french fries, and steak fries topped with pulled pork or chicken, on the west side of the stadium. Poppin' George Kettle Corn will also be available.

Falcon Club Party Deck at the Sebo Center
All Falcon Club members who annually contribute at the $250 level or higher are welcome to enjoy the game from the Falcon Club Party Deck, located on the second floor of the Sebo Center on the north end of the stadium. The area will open at 1:00 p.m., one hour prior to kickoff, and eligible members can enter from the east side of the Sebo Center. Members will be checked in at the stairs leading to the second floor. Immediate family can join eligible members, while individual guests cost $15 (or $25 for two or more).

All members wishing to use the Falcon Club Party Deck must also hold a ticket to the game.

Guests can watch the game from the outdoor deck or indoors via video screen. Snacks and complimentary water, coffee and hot chocolate will be available. A cash bar will be open in the lobby.

Falcon Football Tailgate Park:
The Falcon Football Tailgate Park is open three hours prior to every game. There will be a Kid Zone available next to Falcon Tailgate Park, which includes inflatables and face painting, and it is located at the northeast end of the sidewalk. The BGSU Alumni Association and the BGSU women's basketball team will have tents in the Tailgate Park this week.

Falcon Marching Band:
The PreFlight with the Falcon Marching Band will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the south end of the stadium. All fans are encouraged to watch this pregame performances, as the Falcons get fired up for the game against the Bobcats. The band will then enter the stadium from underneath the stadium scoreboard and will continue their performance on the field beginning 20 minutes prior to kickoff.

The Falcons will celebrate High School Band Day this week, and six bands totaling approximately 700 students will be present for the game.

This week's halftime show is devoted to "Anniversaries". The BGSU Marching Band, along with the high school bands, will perform "Blinded by the Light" by Final Fantasy, West Side Story (Tonight/America), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Ay Zig.

The Falcon Marching Band welcomes fans to enjoy their Fifth Quarter performance on the field, following the conclusion of the game.

Falcon Team Walk
At approximately 11:40 a.m., the BGSU football team will arrive on campus for this week's Falcon Team Walk, which takes place along the sidewalk on the southwest side of the stadium. This is where the BGSU football team walks through a tunnel of fans, cheerleaders, dance team and band members, and all Falcons as they arrive at the stadium.

For the Kids:
Future Falcon Kids Club memberships are now available through the Falcon Club. Memberships are only $30, and it includes free admission to all home athletic events, numerous gifts, and invitations to special events. You can register for the Future Falcon Kids Club HERE.

Game Day Programs:
The official BGSU football game day program will be available at stadium entrances and will also be sold during the game by local Boy Scout troops. The cost of a program is $5.

Merchandise:
The Falcon Team Store will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is located in the Stroh Center. The Falcon Merchandise Tent, located by Gate 2 on the southwest side of the stadium, will be available beginning at 12:30 p.m. when stadium gates open. Items available include Nike sideline gear, women's and youth apparel, and BGSU gifts. There will also be a merchandise kiosk on the east concourse of the stadium, open through halftime, as well as a merchandise cart in the tailgate area.

This week's Item of the Game:

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Pink Game:
This week's game will shine a light on the battle to find a cure for breast cancer. Portions of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Maurer Family Cancer Care Center, and the first 400 fans will receive a pink bandana from Kroger. In addition, BGSU coaches will wear pink ribbons, while players will don pink ribbons on their helmets during the game.

Promotions:
On Thursday, BGSU Athletics announced promotions for Saturday's football game. The entire release can be found HERE.

Here are some of the highlights:

Falcon Flight Line: The first 100 students in the student section will receive Falcon Flight Line t-shirts and also be invited to participate in the fan tunnel that will welcome the BGSU football team onto the field just prior to kickoff.

Game Sponsor Tables: The Army and Moocho will have tables at the game. This week's game sponsor is Kroger.

Honorary Captain: This week's honorary captains will be the 2017 inductees to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame: Ginny (McGee) Beneke, Liz (Vrabel) Knoblauch, Chuck McCampbell, Curt Miller, and Nolan Reimold. The honorary captains will participate in the opening coin toss and will be recognized on the field at the beginning of halftime.

Recognitions: Several on-field recognitions will take place during the game. At the first timeout of the first quarter, the Maurer Family Cancer Care Center will be recognized. At the second timeout, this week's academic spoitlight will feature BGSU Learning Themes and Communities. At the first timeout of the second quarter, Dick and Nadine Edwards will be recognized as this week's Falcon Club Members of the Game.

1992 Football 25th Anniversary: Between the first and second quarters, members of the 1992 BGSU football team will be honored in the north end zone. This is the 25th anniversary of that year's Mid-American Conference champions, led by head coach Gary Blackney. The 1992 team compiled a 10-2 record and won all eight MAC games. They capped the season with a thrilling 35-34 victory over Nevada in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Student Promotions: In the third quarter, one student will be selected to attempt a 25-yard field goal for a chance to win free Coke for a year. In the fourth quarter, one lucky student could win the 50-50-50 drawing -- if the student selected is in the student section at that time, they win $150! Prior to the game, there will be free food in for the first 150 students in the tailgate area behind the west side of the stadium.

Parking and Tickets:
Please note: Slater Family Ice Arena parking lots will be off-limits for football parking on Saturday due to Saturday night's BGSU hockey game against Minnesota State (7:00 p.m.).

Click HERE for all parking and ticket information, including a 2017 BGSU football parking map, ticket prices, and a Doyt Perry Stadium seating chart.

The BGSU Ticket Office in the Stroh Center will NOT be open on Saturday. Tickets can be picked up or purchased at the Doyt Perry Stadium ticket booths. Accepted payment forms for ticket purchases are cash, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

The general/public will call booths are located on the east side of the stadium, outside of Gate 7. The BGSU Player Guest Will Call ientrance s located at Gate 5, while the Visiting Team Will Call entrance is located at Gate 9. Student ticket lines are located at the booths on the West side of the stadium, outside Gate 3. All booths open three hours prior to kickoff, and gates open 90 minutes later.

Fans can also take advantage of BGSU's digital ticketing by clicking HERE. Fans can transfer unused tickets, print tickets from home, or pull up your tickets on your smart phone if you're at the game and forgot your tickets at home.

All RV/Trailers will be charged $25.00 for day of parking, $50.00 for overnight parking regardless of when they arrive or park. RV Parking is located on the side of the Stroh Center and is labeled RV Lot on the Football Game Day Map. Overflow RV parking will be Lot DD.

For students, parking is located on the east side of Doyt Perry Stadium. For complete information about student parking benefits, please check Campus Update.

For customers who need assistance, customer relations representatives will be walking around the stadium wearing yellow vests.

Traffic and Directions:
From north or south via I-75: Use exit 181 and turn west on Wooster Street. The stadium will be on your right.

From north or south via S.R. 25: Turn east on Wooster Street and travel past campus. The stadium will be on your left.

From east or west via the Ohio Turnpike: Use exit 64 (Perrysburg). Follow I-75 South to exit 181. Turn west on Wooster Street. The stadium will be on your right.

From east or west via U.S. 6: Use exit 65 (S.R. 25) and turn north. Take S.R. 25/Main Street to Wooster Street, turn east and travel past campus. The stadium will be on your left.

50/50 Raffle:
Tickets for the Falcon Club 50/50 Raffle will be sold throughout the stadium. The drawing will be conducted between the 3rd and 4th quarters, and proceeds will go to the Falcon Club to fund student-athlete scholarships.

NOTE: Debit cards are accepted at the kiosk in the south end zone area.

Student 50/50/50 Drawing:
In the fourth quarter, one lucky BGSU student will have their name drawn for an opportunity to win $50. If they are in the student section at the time of the drawing, they win the cash. If the student is not present, the money rolls over to the following game, increasing the cash prize. This week's prize is $150!

Lightning Delay Protocol
In the event of inclement weather, please be aware of plans for possible game delays due to lightning. When lightning strikes are spotted within eight miles of Doyt Perry Stadium, the game will be stopped, and the stands will be evacuated. Information about the delay will be relayed by the public address system, the game official, and the scoreboard. The primary safe areas for fans in the event of a delay are the restrooms underneath the stands, as well as the Sebo Center on the north end of the stadium. Secondary locations are the Stroh Center and the BGSU Ice Arena. For your safety, do NOT congregate in the open areas underneath the stands. Please retain your ticket for re-entry into the stadium.

Delays will last a minimum of 30 minutes from the time of the last lightning strike. Any new strikes would reset the "delay" clock to 30 minutes.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING PEPPER SPRAY
- Pepper spray cans are NOT permitted inside Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
- Fans with pepper spray cans should go to one of the four ticket windows at the stadium. You will leave your can of pepper spray with your contact information in a bag that we will provide while you attend the game.
- Prior to halftime, cans of pepper spray will stay at the ticket window they were dropped off at, and you can retrieve them there until halftime.
- At halftime, all bags will be moved to the west side of the stadium into ticket window W-1, which will be staffed by one of our ticket staffers until ½ hour after the conclusion of the game (if all cans are picked up prior to halftime or at any point during the 2nd half, the ticket staffer will close the ticket window).
- Any cans left at this time will be moved to the Sebo Center administrative office where they can be picked up during normal business hours

Stadium Information:

Students can enter the stadium through any gate, provided they have claimed their free ticket.
Even sections are located on the east side of the stadium (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22).
Odd sections are located on the west side of the stadium (7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21).
First aid and the paramedics station will be located on the northwest side of the stadium.
The BGSU marketing tent is located in the southwest corner of Doyt Perry Stadium.
Customer service and stadium information will be located at the marketing tent. This is also the lost-and-found area. Lost-and-found will be open for 30 minutes after the game. If you have lost an item and lost-and-found is closed, please call Steve Messenger at 419-372-7263.
Police officers will be located throughout the stadium.
Bowling Green State University is a smoke-free campus. Smoking is not allowed inside the stadium. Please help us by smoking in the designated areas outside of Gate 2.
Green Game Day is a joint program between Campus Sustainability and BGSU Athletics to reduce waste in and around Doyt Perry Stadium. You can help us tackle waste by using a "green" bag in the tailgate area and filling it with cans and bottles. In the stadium, please recycle cans and bottles in the appropriate containers provided.

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At the Game: Northern Illinois

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