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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Main Facilities Page | Ice Arena Website
It’s safe to say from its grand opening in February 1967, to its around-the-clock operation today, no one building in Bowling Green has been responsible for uniting the University and community more than the Bowling Green State University Ice Arena, now known as the Slater Family Ice Arena.
The building’s three major activities (ice hockey, figure skating, and curling) have drawn together persons of all ages and backgrounds. Many long-lasting friendships have been formed through the programs offered at the facility.
The Ice Arena has been home to five high school hockey state championship squads, one NCAA Division I hockey title team, one Olympic figure skating gold medalist, a mixed curling national championship team, and many other prominent youth hockey and figure skating clubs, including the BGSU precision skating team.
BGSU ice hockey games provide an intense atmosphere matched by few other activities on campus. Large, noisy crowds have been a tradition at the Ice Arena, a $1.8 million facility constructed between 1965-67. Over two million fans have packed the arena over the years, testifying to the loyalty of the BGSU faithful. The Falcons have averaged nearly 3,000 spectators over their 825 varsity home dates.
Since BGSU hockey started intercollegiate varsity competition in 1969, the Orange and Brown has won over 65 percent of its home games. The Falcons, who have had only 10 losing seasons at the Ice Arena, have an all-time mark of 510-261-54 in the facility. Since the arena’s inception, the Falcons have twice posted 10 or more consecutive winning seasons at the BGSU Ice Arena and one stretch of 22 non-losing seasons at the Ice Arena. Over the past two seasons, BGSU has gone 24-10-4 in the Madhouse on Mercer.
The current building capacity stands at 5,000, making the arena the 22nd-largest in college hockey and the third largest in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU, though, packed in a program record 5,353 fans on Nov. 14, 2014.
On Dec. 20, 1988, the BGSU Board of Trustees approved the enclosure of the north end (with 1,687 additional seats), giving the arena a horseshoe configuration. The Oct. 13, 1989 game against Northern Michigan was the first played in the building with its current capacity with the new seats officially dedicated the next night.
More fans packed the Ice Arena during 1989-90 than any other season as 79,376 spectators passed through the turnstiles. BGSU attracted 13 crowds during the course of the year that were larger than the previous single-game record, including two in excess of 5,000.
During the 1996-97 season, the Falcons drew 11 crowds of 4,000-plus fans (one shy of the school record), including one capacity crowd (5,016) which stands as the fourth-largest in arena history. During the 1995-96 campaign, the Falcons drew three full houses, two of which were higher than the previous year’s arena standard. The old mark fell in Febuary, 2012, when 5,031 patrons jammed into BG’s ice arena to watch the the Falcons battle Michigan.
During the 2005-06 season, the Orange and Brown had 47,165 Falcon faithful attend BGSU hockey games, the largest number since the 1999-00 season.
Why is BGSU hockey so popular? Part of the attraction is the speed and excitement of the game. Then there’s the thrill of being a part of one of the loudest and most enthusiastic crowds in college hockey. BG backers sit close to the action from all angles of the arena to get the best view of the hometown Falcons and heckle the opposition.
Then again, it is one of the few places in the country where students have lined up outside the main arena entrance for as long as six hours before the game to get their favorite rinkside seats when the doors open (60 minutes prior to faceoff). In fact, Wallethub.com named Bowling Green, Ohio as the top city in Ohio for hockey and ranked it No. 18 nationally.
Through the “Bring Back the Glory” campaign as well as State and University funding, the arena has made additions to the facility in order to adhere to the changing times while keeping the nostalgia of such a classical sporting venue. Renovations began in mid-April of 2010 and continued through the summer months before the rink’s grand re-opening on Oct. 2, 2010.
Far more than merely a hockey rink for BGSU and BG high school teams, the Ice Arena is the site of many other attractions. The 200’ x 85’ ice surface serves as the home of the BG Youth Hockey Association and is the summer site of the BGSU Hockey and Figure Skating Schools.
As part of the newest appendages in the Ice Arena, the old curling rink has been replaced with a multi-purpose auxiliary sheet of ice sized at 150’ x 56’. Intramural and club curling is still housed in this area but it is also home to youth ice hockey practices and games. While Falcon hockey games are playing and while the main sheet is being used, the auxiliary rink can be open for public skating, recreational broomball competitions and skating lessons. The secondary sheet of ice is equipped with full protective glass and netting with standing room existing around the south side of the ice.
The lounge has received a makeover after the implementation of carpeting, paint, ceiling tile and additional BGSU décor and memorabilia to spruce up the entryway.
Replacing the small patch of studio ice on the east side of the arena are two new locker rooms for visiting teams and community use. Opposite of the locker rooms replacing the studio ice are two additional auxiliary locker rooms, increasing the total number of locker rooms in the Ice Arena to six.
The BGSU hockey coaching staff moved into new offices as part of a $750,000 renovation project completed in 2002. The addition included coaches offices, a training room, weight room and alumni lounge. A large portion of the money used for the renovation was donated by former Falcons who played their collegiate careers inside the BGSU Ice Arena. Four full-size dressing rooms for the Falcons, visiting teams and youth teams, in addition to two staff/officials’ locker rooms, are also located on the east side of the complex.
One of the most popular events held biennially in April is the “Ice Horizons” production put on by the Bowling Green Figure Skating Club. BG native Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic figure skating gold medalist and a four-time World champion, has often performed at the show since his youth.
The Ice Arena served as the site of the 2002 Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Ice Hockey Championships.
Other events staged at the Ice Arena over the years have included an East Coast Hockey League game, regional precision skating championships and camps, national officials training sessions, and the “International Stars On Ice” show featuring some of the world’s top amateur and professional skaters. The proceeds from the “International Stars On Ice” program, sponsored biennially (1978-1992) by the BGFSC and produced by BGSU, went to the American Cancer Society.
In addition, Gordie Howe and the Detroit Red Wings played a fund-raising game against Fort Worth at the Ice Arena on Oct. 2, 1968, for the benefit of the BGSU club hockey program that regularly drew crowds of over 2,500 fans. Just 55 days later, the University’s Athletic Committee voted to upgrade hockey to varsity status effective the next season. The rest is history.