Players from Ohio with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 40% of roster spots in 2016 and 31% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 44 of 109 roster spots were filled by Ohio players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 33 of 106 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 0 to 21.
The median hometown distance moved from 176 mi in 2016 to 158 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1967. Among players with a known home state, 97% were from Ohio, compared with 34% on the 2026 roster.
Before and during the portal era
2016–18 compared with 2021–25
- In-state, not rostered elsewhere
- Previously rostered elsewhere
| Measure | 2016–18 | 2021–25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state, not rostered elsewhere | 38.6% | 35.7% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 2.4% | 15.7% |
The 2026 roster
- 407 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 100 located players.
- 34.0%In-state34.0% of players with a known home state are from Ohio.
- 19.0%Backyard19.0% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 19.8%Previously rostered elsewhere19.8% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Bowling Green ranks
Homecoming Radius over time
The median hometown-to-campus distance, by season. The dotted line is the FBS median.
Roster composition over time
Where the in-state lens draws the line: home-state players with and without an earlier college roster, out-of-state players with and without one, and players with unknown geography. This chart begins where stable athlete IDs make transfer detection possible; the radius chart above carries the official-archive geography farther back.
Where do Bowling Green's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 106 | 34.0% | 19.8% | 158 mi |
| 2025 | 108 | 34.3% | 24.1% | 257 mi |
| 2024 | 109 | 38.9% | 18.3% | 186 mi |
| 2023 | 108 | 38.7% | 14.8% | 228 mi |
| 2022 | 108 | 40.2% | 13.0% | 164 mi |
| 2021 | 108 | 42.1% | 8.3% | 152 mi |
| 2020 | 149 | 43.2% | 4.7% | 164 mi |
| 2019 | 108 | 44.4% | 6.5% | 156 mi |
| 2018 | 111 | 43.7% | 3.6% | 147 mi |
| 2017 | 114 | 38.6% | 3.5% | 199 mi |
| 2016 | 109 | 40.4% | 0.0% | 176 mi |
| 2015 | 109 | 44.9% | 1.8% | 136 mi |
| 2014 | 103 | 44.6% | 1.9% | 131 mi |
| 2013 | 110 | 41.1% | 0.9% | 138 mi |
| 2012 | 108 | 41.0% | 0.9% | 159 mi |
| 2011 | 107 | 50.0% | 0.0% | 135 mi |
| 2010 | 103 | 50.5% | 0.0% | 135 mi |
| 2009 | 97 | 50.5% | 0.0% | 152 mi |
| 2008‡ | 28 | 40.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 29 | 41.7% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 23 | 50.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 24 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 25 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 101 | 53.5% | 8.9% proxy | 120 mi |
| 2002archive | 94 | 52.3% | 8.5% proxy | 120 mi |
| 2001archive | 89 | 63.4% | 6.7% proxy | 107 mi |
| 2000archive | 101 | 66.7% | 5.9% proxy | 91 mi |
| 1999archive | 91 | 64.2% | 3.3% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1998archive‡ | 43 | 69.4% | 0.0% proxy | 98 mi |
| 1996archive | 89 | 66.7% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1995archive | 93 | 67.4% | 0.0% proxy | 95 mi |
| 1994archive | 88 | 62.4% | 0.0% proxy | 101 mi |
| 1993archive | 90 | 64.8% | 0.0% proxy | 101 mi |
| 1992archive | 99 | 73.5% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1991archive | 101 | 71.3% | 0.0% proxy | 105 mi |
| 1990archive | 112 | 70.9% | 0.0% proxy | 109 mi |
| 1989archive | 109 | 79.4% | 0.0% proxy | 101 mi |
| 1988archive | 108 | 77.1% | 0.0% proxy | 98 mi |
| 1987archive‡ | 117 | 61.9% | 0.0% proxy | — |
| 1986archive | 101 | 69.7% | 0.0% proxy | 105 mi |
| 1985archive | 97 | 66.7% | 0.0% proxy | 109 mi |
| 1984archive | 92 | 75.0% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1983archive | 96 | 76.0% | 0.0% proxy | 110 mi |
| 1982archive | 92 | 73.9% | 0.0% proxy | 107 mi |
| 1981archive | 94 | 70.2% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1980archive | 98 | 69.8% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1979archive | 92 | 64.8% | 0.0% proxy | 104 mi |
| 1978archive | 89 | 73.9% | 0.0% proxy | 104 mi |
| 1977archive | 95 | 83.0% | 0.0% proxy | 113 mi |
| 1976archive | 93 | 87.1% | 0.0% proxy | 103 mi |
| 1975archive | 89 | 94.4% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1974archive | 94 | 93.6% | 0.0% proxy | 103 mi |
| 1973archive | 115 | 87.8% | 0.0% proxy | 101 mi |
| 1972archive | 110 | 88.2% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1971archive | 85 | 89.4% | 0.0% proxy | 101 mi |
| 1970archive | 74 | 90.4% | 0.0% proxy | 105 mi |
| 1969archive | 80 | 89.7% | 0.0% proxy | 106 mi |
| 1968archive | 72 | 94.4% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1967archive | 71 | 97.1% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
In-state shares use players with a known home state. Radius uses located hometowns.
‡ fewer than 70 roster rows or under 75% known home state. Treat with caution.
archive = official athletic-site roster. “Proxy” is the share listing a previous school where that field behaved like a transfer field; it is not the same measure as the share previously rostered elsewhere.
Where the roster grew up
Located hometowns on the 2026 roster, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.
Homecoming Radius: 158 mi