Bowling Green Mega-Fan And Contributor Bill Frack Has Passed Away

Bill Frack, who lived in Findlay, Ohio and was a fan and supporter of the Bowling Green Falcons for more than six decades, passed away Wednesday after a battle with cancer.

Frack, 79, donated nearly $20 million to BGSU's basketball program.  This included money to help build the school's new basketball arena, the Stroh Center, as well as an endowment which is predicted to fund the men's basketball team with $675,000 per year perpetually.  He also donated to a compensation package that helped lure new head coach Chris Jans to Bowling Green from Wichita State University.

Frack attended Bowling Green for a while but later chose to continue his studies at Findlay College.  He graduated with a teaching degree in 1963.  He said he never stopped being a Falcon fanatic, and he followed BGSU basketball for 60 years.

After growing his money via investments and saving over time, Frack believed it was time for the Falcons to be great again.  He donated his money in an effort to return the program back to its "glory days."

"I can’t emphasize enough what Bill’s passion and generosity means for our program," said Chris Kingston, BGSU director of athletics, at the endowment press conference.  "This endowment literally is a game changer.  It is the last piece of the puzzle for us to begin a new era of men's basketball in the Stroh Center."

Frack said that is exactly what he had in mind.  "If Butler and Gonzaga can do it, Bowling Green can do it," he said.  "I want to provide the resources to take Falcon basketball to the next level," according to a press release about the conference.

The Findlay Courier reported on April 9 that Frack would leave about $20 million to the Hancock County Community Foundation, three-quarters of which will go to the Bowling Green State University men’s basketball program. The rest will be used to fight homelessness and domestic violence in Hancock County.

The gift is the single largest private donation in Bowling Green State University history, and it is the largest one-time gift ever received by a MAC basketball program.

In an e-mail, Kingston said of Frack's passing, "BGSU and the Athletics Department mourn the loss of Bill Frack.  We are committed to Bill's vision for the Bowling Green State University men's basketball program."