Ball State Cardinals Football Schedule 2026 (TV, Times)
Ball State Cardinals 2026 schedule: 12 games, 5 at home, 5 on national TV. Kickoff times, TV channels, results and a printable PDF.
Next 2 games
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff | TV / stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov 17 | at Ohio Bobcats | 7:00 PM ET | CBSSN |
| Sat, Nov 28 | vs. Central Michigan Chippewas | 12:00 PM ET | TBD |
Ball State plays its home games at Scheumann Stadium on campus in Muncie, Indiana. The stadium opened in 1967 and seats 22,500. The Cardinals compete in the Mid-American Conference, where their main rivalry is with Miami (Ohio). Since 2017 the two have competed for the Red Bird Rivalry trophy. Ball State also played Northern Illinois for the Bronze Stalk Trophy until NIU's football move to the Mountain West. Late Show host David Letterman is one of Ball State's best-known alumni. The schedule below covers the entire season, and kickoff and TV details are added as they are released.
Season so far
- Record
- 3-7 (from final scores)
- Streak
- L2
- Games played
- 10
Last 3 results
- L 7–28 vs. Buffalo Bulls Wed, Nov 11
- L 30–31 (OT) at Massachusetts Minutemen Wed, Nov 4
- W 34–17 vs. Sacramento State Hornets Sat, Oct 24
Next up
- When
- Tue, Nov 17 · 7:00 PM ET
- Where
- Peden Stadium, Athens, OH
- TV / stream
- CBSSN
| Date / kickoff | Matchup | TV / stream | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT | Ball State Cardinals at Ohio State Buckeyes | BTN | 3–56 · Final |
| Sep 12, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT | Stony Brook Seawolves at Ball State Cardinals | ESPN+ | 17–41 · Final |
| Sep 19, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT | Ball State Cardinals at Liberty Flames | ESPN+ | 15–51 · Final |
| Sep 26, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT | Ball State Cardinals at Kent State Golden Flashes | ESPN+ | 13–26 · Final |
| Oct 3, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT | Toledo Rockets at Ball State Cardinals | ESPN+ | 39–24 · Final |
| Oct 10, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT | Ball State Cardinals at Northwestern Wildcats | BTN | 14–45 · Final |
| Oct 17, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT | Ball State Cardinals at Bowling Green Falcons | ESPN+ | 32–31 · Final/OT |
| Oct 24, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT | Sacramento State Hornets at Ball State Cardinals | ESPN+ | 17–34 · Final |
| Nov 4, 2026, 7:00 PM EST | Ball State Cardinals at Massachusetts Minutemen | ESPNU | 30–31 · Final/OT |
| Nov 11, 2026, 7:30 PM EST | Buffalo Bulls at Ball State Cardinals | ESPN2 | 28–7 · Final |
| Nov 17, 2026, 7:00 PM EST | Ball State Cardinals at Ohio Bobcats | CBSSN | Scheduled |
| Nov 28, 2026, 12:00 PM EST | Central Michigan Chippewas at Ball State Cardinals | TBD | Scheduled |
What channel is the Ball State Cardinals game on this week?
This week: Ball State Cardinals at Ohio Bobcats, Tue, Nov 17, 7:00 PM ET, on CBSSN.
Next game: at Ohio Bobcats · Tue, Nov 17, 7:00 PM ET · Peden Stadium · TV/stream: CBSSN
Ball State Cardinals recent results
- Nov 11: L 7–28 vs. Buffalo Bulls · aired on ESPN2
- Nov 4: L 30–31 at Massachusetts Minutemen · aired on ESPNU
- Oct 24: W 34–17 vs. Sacramento State Hornets · streamed on ESPN+
Related schedules
MAC schedule · College football on TV this week · Ball State Cardinals men’s basketball schedule · Ball State Cardinals women’s basketball schedule
From the blog
Ball State Cardinals season at a glance
- Home and away
- 5 home games, 7 road games (12 games listed).
- Bye week
- Week 9 (between the Oct 24 game vs. Sacramento State Hornets and the Nov 4 game at Massachusetts Minutemen).
- Prime-time kickoffs
- 3 games kicking off at 7 PM ET or later: Nov 4 at Massachusetts Minutemen (ESPNU); Nov 11 vs. Buffalo Bulls (ESPN2); Nov 17 at Ohio Bobcats (CBSSN).
- TV and streaming listed
- ESPN+ 6, BTN 2, CBSSN 1, ESPN2 1, ESPNU 1; 1 game without a listed channel yet.
- Toughest stretch
- 2 straight games away from home, 2 times (Sep 19 to Sep 26; Oct 10 to Oct 17); shortest turnaround is 6 days, from the Nov 11 game vs. Buffalo Bulls to the Nov 17 game at Ohio Bobcats.
- Next game
- at Ohio Bobcats, Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 PM ET on CBSSN.
Computed from the schedule on this page. Times are U.S. Eastern. Prime time means a confirmed kickoff at 7 PM ET or later; a bye is a week number missing from the team's schedule; the toughest stretch is the longest run of consecutive games away from home and the shortest turnaround under seven days between games.
Ball State Cardinals schedule by the numbers
- 5 home
- 7 away
- 5 on national TV (1 still to play)
- 6 national streaming only
Games by month: Sep 2026 4 · Oct 2026 4 · Nov 2026 4
National TV counts games on a national broadcast or cable network (such as ESPN, Fox, TNT or a national conference network); streaming-only national games (such as Peacock, Prime Video or ESPN+) are counted separately, and local or regional channels are not included.
Plan the rest of Ball State Cardinals’ season
The available schedule contains 12 regular-season games: 10 completed and 2 not marked final. The remaining games include 1 at home, 1 away and 0 at neutral sites.
The next dated matchup is against Ohio Bobcats on November 17. Use the schedule above for the latest kickoff and channel.
1 remaining games have an unconfirmed kickoff or missing broadcast listing. Recheck those details before arranging travel or a watch party.
Ball State Cardinals schedule notes
This page lists the regular-season games available from our sports data provider. Times and TV channels may change; unannounced details remain TBD. The PDF lists the games still to play (choose "PDF with past games" for the full regular season with games already played) and is a snapshot of the latest available data when downloaded.
Follow more than one team? Combine NFL and college teams in My Season to see their games together without duplicate matchups. Learn about PDF and calendar options.
Browse all team schedules →Ball State Cardinals schedule FAQ
When is the Ball State Cardinals bye week?
The Ball State Cardinals bye week is Week 9 (between the Oct 24 game vs. Sacramento State Hornets and the Nov 4 game at Massachusetts Minutemen), based on the week numbers in the current schedule.
How many prime-time games do the Ball State Cardinals have?
The current schedule lists 3 games with a confirmed kickoff at 7 PM Eastern or later: at Massachusetts Minutemen on Wednesday, November 4; vs. Buffalo Bulls on Wednesday, November 11; at Ohio Bobcats on Tuesday, November 17. Games with a kickoff time still TBD are not counted.
What channel are Ball State Cardinals games on?
Listed TV and streaming outlets for the Ball State Cardinals this season: ESPN+ (6 games), BTN (2 games), CBSSN (1 game), ESPN2 (1 game) and ESPNU (1 game). 1 game has no channel listed yet. The next game, at Ohio Bobcats on Tuesday, November 17, is listed on CBSSN. Channels can change, so check the schedule table above before kickoff.
How do I print the Ball State Cardinals schedule?
Use the "Download PDF of remaining games" button near the top of this page to get a printable one-page PDF of the games still to play with kickoff times (choose "PDF with past games" for the full regular season) and TV channels, then print it from your PDF viewer. The PDF is a snapshot of the schedule when downloaded. To print several teams together, combine them in My Season first.