BGSU Takes National Stage, Hosts Akron Friday Night On CBS Sports Network

Friday, January 9

Bowling Green, Ohio

8 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Akron

Photo by: Avery Zuercher, BGSU Athletics

BGSU Takes National Stage, Hosts Akron Friday Night On CBS Sports Network

January 07, 2026 | Men's Basketball

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Falcons, Zips Scheduled For 8 p.m. Tip At The Stroh

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team will return home Friday night (Jan. 9) to the Stroh Center to host the Akron Zips on national TV. Bowling Green and Akron are slated for an 8 p.m. tip on CBS Sports Network. This will mark the third consecutive season the two have faced off on national TV. In addition to the national TV feed, Todd Walker will have the radio call on WFRO Eagle 99.

Opening Tip
Bowling Green and Akron will be meeting for the 76th time in program history with Akron holding the all-time advantage, 47-28. This will mark the third consecutive season that BGSU and Akron have faced off on CBS Sports Network and the fourth time in the last six seasons. The Falcons are averaging 100.2 points per game over their last four contests while averaging 89.3 points per game for the season, ranking 20th in the nation. The Orange and Brown are currently ranked first in the nation for steals per game (12.1), second in the nation for turnovers per game (18.5) and fifth for fastbreak points per game (19.2).

A Bowling Green Win Would…

Give Bowling Green consecutive national TV wins, pairing with last year's CBS Sports Network win over Toledo on Feb. 21 (69-68).
Grant the Falcons a 3-2 record to start MAC play after beginning against the top five teams from the MAC's preseason poll and the five teams picked to win the MAC Tournament.
Mark BGSU's first win over Akron since Feb. 26, 2021 and the first at home since Feb. 25, 2020.
Create a 1-0 start to the 2026 home schedule for the Falcons.

National TV Spotlight
The game against Akron will be Bowling Green's first game on national TV this season, continuing a streak of 11 consecutive seasons that BGSU has had at least one regular season game nationally televised, dating back to 2015-16. During that span, BGSU has had 17 games on CBS Sports Network, seven games on ESPNU, two games on ESPN2, two games on Big Ten Network, one game on FS2 and one game on ACC Network.

At The Game
The game will mark this year's Bill Frack Game as well as Alumni Night for the Falcons. There will be a pregame recognition of the Frack Chair along with additional moments throughout to recognize Bill Frack. Bowling Green will also welcome back alumni of the men's basketball program, including the 45th anniversary of the 1980-81 MAC Championship team.

Clear Bag Mandate
For fans attending any games moving forward at BGSU venues, including the Stroh Center, a clear bag mandate will be in effect. For more information, please click here to see the mandate.

Parking Changes For 2025-26
Additional Limited Mobility Parking Now Available for All Home Basketball Games
To better accommodate fans and guests with limited mobility, additional designated parking spaces will now be available for all upcoming home Men's and Women's Basketball games at the Stroh Center.
Location:
Additional parking will be located on the north side of Lot 24, beginning with the first row of spaces adjacent to the grass area and including the next two rows directly behind it.
Fan Access:
Guests utilizing these spaces should enter through the Student Entrance, located on the north side of Lot 24. From there, fans may use the service elevator to access the main arena and seating areas.
Please Note:
Limited mobility parking will remain paid parking and will be clearly marked with signage indicating the designated spaces and new location.

Scouting The Zips
Akron heads into the game with an 11-4 standing on the season while being 2-1 within the Mid-American Conference. Their MAC loss came on the road at Miami (OH) with a 76-73 final on Jan. 3. The other three losses for the Zips have been to No. 2 Purdue (Nov. 16, 97-79), Yale (Nov. 24, 97-94) and Murray State (Dec. 13, 115-100). Akron has totaled five 100-point games this season as well as 90+ points in 10 of their 15 contests played, resulting in the fifth-best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 94.5 points per game.

BGSU vs. Akron, All-Time
Bowling Green and Akron will be meeting for the 76th time in program history with the all-time series leaning to the Zips, 47-28. Additionally, Akron has recorded wins in the last seven meetings with the last BGSU victory coming on Feb. 26, 2021 with an 83-71 win at Akron. As for games in Bowling Green, the series is close with Akron holding a slight edge, 17-16. The last win for the Falcons over the Zips in the Stroh Center came on Feb. 25, 2020 with a 78-60 final score.

Campbell On Fire To Start 2026
Two games into the 2026 calendar, Javontae Campbell is showing this is his year. Campbell has played all 85 minutes of action for the Falcons in the first two games and has totaled 75 points, logging 47 against UMass and 28 against Kent State to average 37.5 points in 2026. Campbell has added an 80.0-percent mark at the free throw line, going 32-for-40 at the stripe. He's also paced BGSU in assists in both games, totaling 17 for an average of 8.5 over the two games.

Taking Turnovers Into Transition
For nearly the entire season, Bowling Green has sat atop the national rankings for steals per game, currently averaging a nation's best 12.1 per game. The team's 18.5 turnovers forced per game has hovered in the top two for most of the season as well. Now, the Falcons have placed themselves firmly in the top portion of the nation for the offensive outcomes of those turnovers. This year, BGSU is averaging 19.2 fastbreak points per game, ranking fifth in the nation.

Details In The Defense
For the Falcons, the team's level of defense has been a telling point so far this season. The Falcons hold a record of 10-1 this year when holding their opponent to a shooting percentage of 49.0-percent or lower, including a 7-0 standing when the mark is below 40.0-percent. On a similar note, Bowling Green is 9-0 this year when having a shooting percentage higher than their opponent, but 2-5 when their opponent has the higher mark.

Campbell On Record-Breaking Pace
Through 16 games, Javontae Campbell is averaging 3.3 steals per game with 53 total. His total is currently leading the nation while his average ranks second in the country. Campbell is currently on pace for 102 steals, which would break not only his own single-season record for the Falcons of 90 last season, but also threaten the MAC record, set at 103 by Ball State's Bonzi Wells in 1997-98.

Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons' men's basketball team on social media
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUMBB
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsumhoops'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics' and 'BGSU Men's Hoops'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'