For BGSU softball junior shortstop Cameron Kaufman, the Battle of I-75 is more than just a matchup between rivals. It is personal. 

When Cam Kaufman takes the field against the University of Toledo, she is not just competing in a conference rivalry. She is stepping into a divide that runs through her own family. 

Her family is split down the middle between the two schools. Her grandfather, father, two of her uncles and older brother all attended Toledo, while her mother and her younger brother represent Bowling Green. 

Deep Roots in the Glass City 

That divide is rooted in a long-standing Toledo athletic tradition. Cam Kaufman’s father, Michael Kaufman, and her grandfather, Ron Kaufman, both played football for the Rockets, embedding the rivalry into the family long before Cam ever picked up a softball. 

“I grew up in a household where ‘Bowling Green’ were words not to be spoken,” Michael Kaufman said. “It goes a little bit deeper than just me and my time at Toledo. My father was the first kid in his family to go to college and he was able to do it on a football scholarship.” 

That mentality carried into his playing days. 

“There was a countdown on the locker room wall,” Michael Kaufman said. “We knew exactly when the Bowling Green week was going to start and the whole season revolved around playing Bowling Green.” 

Carving Her Own Path 

Despite being surrounded by Midnight Blue and Gold, Cam Kaufman never felt she had to follow the same path. 

“There was really never that pressure,” Cam Kaufman said. “Everybody in my family wanted me to find that right spot in that right college that felt like home.” 

During her junior year of high school, Cam Kaufman found that sense of belonging in Bowling Green, something that ultimately outweighed her family’s athletic ties to Toledo. 

“As soon as I came on campus at BG, I knew that this is where I was gonna play my next four years,” Cam Kaufman said. “One thing that really stuck out to me was that sense of community between the campus and the town itself, and then just getting to talk to the girls that were on the team at the time. They really just provided this sense of welcoming.” 

A Shift in Colors 

Her commitment required an adjustment, particularly for her father. 

“It was kind of a difficult day for me,” Michael Kaufman said. 

After visiting his father’s grave to reflect, Michael Kaufman came to terms with the decision, knowing his father would have supported Cam above all else. Not long after, Cam Kaufman and her mother bought him his first piece of Falcons gear. 

“It took him a little while to get used to the colors, but he was happy to put it on after we gave him a hard time,” Cam Kaufman said. 

Over time, his loyalty shifted, at least when it comes to softball. 

“My dad kind of flipped a switch,” Cam Kaufman said. “Still cheers on Toledo football, but when it comes to softball, he’s all in.” 

“I will never, ever, root against my daughter, and I will always wear the Orange and Brown when BG is playing, even at the University of Toledo,” Michael Kaufman said. “But one thing is absolutely certain, I will never wear brown and orange in the Glass Bowl.” 

Rivalry Week at Home 

Even with that support, the rivalry still shows itself in the days leading up to the matchup. 

“I would say that week leading up, there definitely is some butting heads,” Cam Kaufman said. “It’s a little trash talk, a little bit of saying who’s gonna win.” 

Her older brother Braden, a senior at Toledo, is often part of that exchange. But once the game begins, the family unites behind her. 

“As soon as that game comes on, he’s all BG, and he’s happy to cheer us on,” she said. 

For Michael Kaufman, the line is clear. 

“I don’t ever talk trash against BG softball ever, period,” he said. “Football, that’s a whole other ball game.” 

More Than the Moment 

For Cam Kaufman, the Battle of I-75 carries a different weight than any other series on the schedule. 

“You know, that rivalry runs deep, not only between both the schools, but my family as well,” Cam Kaufman said. “So those are the games that you want the most.” 

In the days leading up to the matchup, the divide is still present, filled with playful trash talk and competition across the household. 

But once the game begins, the focus shifts. No matter which side of the rivalry they come from, Cam Kaufman’s family comes together to support her. 

“We might be a house divided when it comes to where we graduated from,” Michael Kaufman said, “but we are absolutely united when it comes to supporting our kids in their academic and athletic endeavors.”