# Bronze Stalk Trophy

The Bronze Stalk Trophy is presented to the winner of the annual college football game between Mid-American Conference rivals Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The two interstate rivals began competing for this trophy in 2008.
Designed by nationally recognized sculptor and DeKalb artist Renee Bemis, the trophy depicts several cornstalks in tribute to the prevalence of maize around the respective home states of the rivals.
The first meeting between the two occurred in 1941, a 6–6 tie. Currently, the all-time series is tied 25–25–2. Ball State won the inaugural contest for the Bronze Stalk at Scheumann Stadium in 2008, with Northern Illinois winning the trophy for the first time the following season on Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium.

## Game results

| Ball State victories | Northern Illinois victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | October 4, 1941 | DeKalb, IL | Tie | 6–6 |
| 2 | October 17, 1942 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 14–0 |
| 3 | October 8, 1966 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 38–24 |
| 4 | October 7, 1967 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 28–14 |
| 5 | September 14, 1968 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 40–20 |
| 6 | October 25, 1969 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 17–13 |
| 7 | October 24, 1970 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 31–14 |
| 8 | October 23, 1971 | DeKalb, IL | Tie | 10–10 |
| 9 | October 20, 1973 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 45–17 |
| 10 | November 9, 1974 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 31–21 |
| 11 | October 25, 1975 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 3–0 |
| 12 | October 30, 1976 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 33–7 |
| 13 | October 15, 1977 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 31–6 |
| 14 | November 18, 1978 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 31–13 |
| 15 | November 17, 1979 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 42–0 |
| 16 | September 13, 1980 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 18–17 |
| 17 | October 3, 1981 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 23–0 |
| 18 | October 2, 1982 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 14–7 |
| 19 | October 1, 1983 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 27–14 |
| 20 | September 29, 1984 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 15–14 |
| 21 | October 5, 1985 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 29–0 |
| 22 | August 30, 1986 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 20–10 |
| 23 | October 31, 1987 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 42–17 |
| 24 | October 29, 1988 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 18–17 |
| 25 | October 25, 1997 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 21–14 |
| 26 | October 3, 1998 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 18–13 |
| 27 | October 9, 1999 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 37–17 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 28 | September 30, 2000 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 43–14 |
| 29 | November 17, 2001 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 33–29 |
| 30 | October 5, 2002 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 41–29 |
| 31 | November 1, 2003 | DeKalb, IL | #21 Northern Illinois | 48–23 |
| 32 | October 30, 2004 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 38–31 |
| 33 | October 29, 2005 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 31–17 |
| 34 | September 30, 2006 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 40–28 |
| 35 | November 24, 2007 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 27–21 |
| 36 | November 5, 2008 | Muncie, IN | #16 Ball State | 45–14 |
| 37 | November 12, 2009 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 26–20 |
| 38 | November 20, 2010 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 59–21 |
| 39 | November 15, 2011 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 41–38 |
| 40 | October 6, 2012 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 35–23 |
| 41 | November 13, 2013 | DeKalb, IL | #20 Northern Illinois | 48–27 |
| 42 | November 5, 2014 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 35–21 |
| 43 | October 10, 2015 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 59–41 |
| 44 | October 1, 2016 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 31–24 |
| 45 | November 9, 2017 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 63–17 |
| 46 | October 6, 2018 | Muncie, IN | Northern Illinois | 24–16 |
| 47 | October 5, 2019 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 27–20 |
| 48 | November 18, 2020 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 31–25 |
| 49 | November 10, 2021 | DeKalb, IL | Northern Illinois | 30–29 |
| 50 | October 1, 2022 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 44–38$^{2OT}$ |
| 51 | November 7, 2023 | DeKalb, IL | Ball State | 20–17 |
| 52 | October 26, 2024 | Muncie, IN | Ball State | 25–23 |
| 53 | October 25, 2025 | DeKalb, IL |
| Series: Tied 25–25–2 |||||