Ball State Cardinals Logo PNG
The Ball State University Cardinals logo, APU’s sports department, features a cardinal as its symbol. Its position and graphic design symbolize fearlessness. The aggressive color palette demonstrates the team’s characteristics and the organization’s core philosophy.
Ball State Cardinals trace back to June 17, 1918, when a teachers’ college opened in Muncie, Indiana. Sports programs began around then. Orville Sink led men’s athletics in 1918; basketball became official in 1919, with its first season in 1920–1921; and football appeared in 1924.
The early name Hoosieroons drew criticism. On November 30, 1927, Paul Williams and Norman Wann introduced “Cardinals” after noticing a St. Louis Cardinals sweatshirt. The name matched the Indiana state bird and won a student vote.
Football moved through several levels, from NJCAA in 1937–1956 to Division II in 1973, then to Division I-AA in 1975, and finally to FBS in 1981. Ball State joined the Mid-American Conference in 1975, where the rivalry with the Miami RedHawks became central, and later received the Red Bird Rivalry Trophy in 2017.
Basketball peaked in 1988–1989 under Rick Majerus with a 29–3 record and a MAC title. The team beat Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament and later reached the Sweet 16 under Dick Hunsaker.
The team won titles in 1989 and 1993 and made its bowl debut in the California Raisin Bowl. In 2008, the team entered the AP Top 25 and reached No. 12 with a 12–0 regular season.
Men’s basketball won seven MAC tournaments between 1981 and 2000. In 2001, Ball State beat Kansas and UCLA at the Maui Invitational. In 2009, the women’s team defeated the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in the NCAA Tournament. Volleyball added titles in MIVA and MAC, with Northern Illinois as a recurring rival.
Meaning and History
The updated 1990s logo features the sports faculty’s mascot, Charlie Cardinal. The university’s symbol is the cardinal bird, depicted in profile. It seems to be flying from top to bottom, fearlessly attacking opponents. Three swift strokes testify to rapid movement.
The emblem was developed based on the nickname given to the university teams in 1927. Most students voted for Paul Williams’s proposal, the former head of the sports organization. Until then, all faculty representatives were called Hoosieroons.
In 2015, the logo underwent a slight transformation: the three upper strokes were removed, and the bird’s head was enlarged. The rest of the details remained unchanged; the color palette consisted of white, red, and black.
What are the Ball State Cardinals?
The Ball State Cardinals comprise 18 men’s and women’s teams, made up of students from Ball State University. The sports facility is in Muncie, Indiana, and the teams compete in NCAA Division I as part of the Mid-American Conference. The team was initially called the Hoosieroons and adopted its current name in 1927.
1965 – 1990
1990 – 2015
2015 – today
Ball State Cardinals Football
The football team plays in the first division, “Football Bowl Subdivision,” and the Mid-American Conference. Its home arena is Scheumann Stadium. The team debuted in 1924. Mike Neu coaches the team.
Ball State Cardinals Basketball
The university’s men’s team opened its first basketball season in 1920. Now, it competes in the Mid-American Conference and plays home games at Worthen Arena. In 2000, after joining NCAA Division I, it participated in the men’s basketball tournament. The women’s team won the MAC tournament in 2009.