 Bowling Green State University ( BGSU ) is a public research university located in Bowling Green , Ohio , United States . The 1 @,@ 338 @-@ acre ( 541 @.@ 5 ha ) main academic and residential campus is located 15 miles ( 24 km ) south of Toledo , Ohio . The institution was granted a charter in 1910 as a normal school , specializing in teacher training and education , as part of the Lowry Normal School Bill that authorized two new normal schools in the state of Ohio . Over the university 's history , it developed from a small rural normal school into a comprehensive public university . 
