Ball State Cardinals Ball State University ' s athletic teams are called the Cardinals . The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Mid - American Conference and located in Muncie , Indiana . Charlie Cardinal is the team mascot . The Ball State University Pride of Mid - America Marching Band performs at all home football games , many home basketball games , and various other athletic and spirit events across campus . Football . The Ball State Cardinals football team competes in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid - American Conference . The current head coach is Pete Lembo . The Cardinals play at Scheumann Stadium . On October 5 , 2008 , Ball State was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in team history , and reached a ranking as high as 12th in the nation during the course of the season . Ball State completed their 2008 regular season with a record of 12 - 1 and a conference record of 8 - 1 . They won the MAC West Division Championship before falling to Buffalo in the MAC Championship at Ford Field in Detroit . Shortly after the departure of the head coach , Brady Hoke , Ball State lost to Tulsa University in the GMAC Bowl on January 6 , 2009 by a score of 45 - 13 . Bowl games . The Cardinals have gone to six Division I bowl games . They have an 0 - 6 record in these games being outscored by a total score of 222 - 114 . Men ' s basketball . Ball State men ' s basketball is affiliated with NCAA division 1 . They were founded in 1920 - 1921 . 2011 - 2012 Men ' s Basketball Coaches : James Whitford - Head Coach Bob Simmons - Associate Head Coach Mitch Gilfillan - Assistant Coach Jay Newberry - Assistant Coach Mickey Hosier - Director of Basketball Operations Michael Bennett - Video Coordinator 2011 - 2012 Statistics Women ' s basketball . The Ball State Cardinals ' women ' s basketball team won their first MAC tournament in 2009 and subsequently went to their first - ever NCAA Tournament . In the first round , they beat the Tennessee Lady Volunteers 71 - 55 in Bowling Green , Kentucky . 12th - seeded Ball State ' s win over 5th - seeded Tennessee was the Lady Volunteers ' first first round loss in the 28 - year history of the women ' s NCAA Tournament . The Cardinals earned a lot of attention for their historic first round win and briefly became the Cinderella , feel - good story of the NCAA Tournament before losing to the Iowa State Cyclones 57 - 71 in the second round . On March 21 , 2012 , Kelly Packard , the head coach , resigned On May 12 , 2012 , Brady Sallee , the former coach at Eastern Illinois University , was named the eleventh head coach in the program ' s history . Baseball . The Ball State baseball team plays in the MAC West Division . They play on Ball Diamond . Their head coach is Rich Maloney , who formerly coached the Cardinals , with an extended stint with the University of Michigan in between . The team began play in 1918 . Nickname . Ball State athletics teams received the " Cardinals " nickname in 1927 , after the name was suggested by then - athletic director Paul " Billy " Williams and voted upon by the student body . In years prior , the school ' s teams were known as the " Hoosieroons " . Fight Song . The Ball State fight song was written by Carl Hofer in 1930 . " Fight , Team , Fight " < br > Fight team fight for Ball State < br > We must win this game < br > Onward now you Cardinals < br > Bring glory to your name < br > Fight ! Fight ! Fight ! < br > Here ' s to both our colors < br > Cardinal and White < br > Praying for a victory < br > So fight , fight , fight