Athletics
In the beginning, the Franklin College athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, but it was later changed to Grizzlies in honor of Ernest "Griz" Wagner. Franklin's athletic teams participate in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
During the 1920s, Franklin College gained national fame when a basketball team called the Franklin Wonder Five, since winning three state high school championships in succession, became national college champions in 1923. The team turned down an offer to play the professional New York Celtics. The fitness center was built in the 1920s specifically to accommodate the large crowds attracted to watch the team.
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