The one remaining question about the 2014 Ball State football team was answered earlier this week as the Indiana State game was confirmed for September 13. The only thing left to do was have the MidAmerican Conference release their conference slate so fans could make travel plans, familial excuses, work requests off, etc. Today, that bullet point got crossed off as well and BALL STATE FOOTBALL HAS A COMPLETE 2014 SCHEDULE!
The good news? 6 home games. The more good news? A new crossover opponent from the MAC East appears in the UMass Minutemen who went 1-11 last season. The mediocre news? That game is on the road. The bad news? Also appearing is BG, the team that won the MAC last season by beating NIU in the MAC Championsip. The worse news? That game is also on the road, replacing Miami as the season closer, a game that may very well mean the difference between bowl eligibility and the Cardinals staying home for the holidays. So it’s a mixed bag of news but news this time of year of any sort is ultimately a positive because it means BSU football is not that far away.
Per BSU’s release on the matter:
The Mid-American Conference has announced the 2014 football schedule. Highlighting the Ball State portion of the slate will be the Oct. 11 Homecoming Game vs. Western Michigan and three weekday November games on the ESPN family of networks.
Ball State will appear on ESPN2 or ESPNU Nov. 5 vs. Northern Illinois and Nov. 12 at Massachusetts and on ESPNU or ESPN3 Nov. 28 at Bowling Green. The Cardinals’ contests are three of a total of 14 MAC games on the ESPN family of networks.
“We are excited to once again feature six home games at Scheumann Stadium,” Ball State head coach Pete Lembo says. “A balanced slate is one of our primary goals when formulating a schedule for each season. The Mid-American Conference opponents we face from the West Division are always a big challenge on a yearly basis. The crossover games from the MAC East promise to be equally formidable tests for our program next fall.”
The Cardinals will open MAC play Sept. 20 at Toledo and end the regular season Nov. 28 at Bowling Green. In between, Ball State will host Western Michigan, Akron, Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan.
The regular season will conclude with the 17th Marathon MAC Football Championship Game Friday, Dec. 5, at Ford Field in Detroit on ESPN2. This will mark the 11th Marathon MAC Football Championship Game at Ford Field, home of the National Football League’s Detroit Lions, Super Bowl XL and the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
The MAC is an NCAA Division I, 12-member conference that sponsors 23 championships and is one of 10 members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and Ohio.
Ball State’s complete 2014 football schedule:
Sat., Aug. 30 – COLGATE
Sat., Sept. 6 – at Iowa
Sat., Sept. 13 – INDIANA STATE
Sat., Sept. 20 – at Toledo *
Sat., Oct. 4 – at Army
Sat., Oct. 11 – WESTERN MICHIGAN *
Sat., Oct. 18 – at Central Michigan *
Sat., Oct. 25 – AKRON *
Wed., Nov. 5 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS * (8:00) — ESPN2/ESPNU
Wed., Nov. 12 – at Massachusetts * (8:00) — ESPN2/ESPNU
Sat., Nov. 22 – EASTERN MICHIGAN *
Fri., Nov. 28 – at Bowling Green * — ESPNU/ESPN3
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Over The Pylon 
I was really hoping that the Illinois St. game was going to be replaced with another FBS opponent. As it is, only one win counts and if we lose one, well that just looks awful for us. On the bright side, it does bring in an in-state rival that we have a history with and I do look forward to it. Plus it is a home game as well instead of us travelling to an FCS school. Something no FBS school should EVER do. Not a knock on them because some have really nice stadiums like Montana, but still. It’s the principal of the matter!
As the schedule is right now and all the changes we are going through, I’m a bit torn on how to think this season is going to turn out and am feeling it’s a 50/50 chance on us being bowl eligible considering we will need to win at least 7 games (since we have two FCS teams scheduled). However, we do still have Lembo so I will feel favorable for the outcome for now at least.
Way to early prediction:
8-4 with the upset special being against NIU as they are also transitioning. Losses to BG, Akron (was feeling 50/50 on that game but they ARE improving and can be quite dangerous as of right now), Toledo, and Iowa.