Blue Key Victory Bell
SportFootball
First meetingOctober 18, 1924
Indiana State, 47–0
Latest meetingSeptember 16, 2023
Ball State, 45-7
Next meetingN/A
TrophyVictory Bell
Statistics
Meetings total66
All-time seriesBall State leads, 40–24–1
Largest victoryIndiana State, 47–0 (1924)
Longest win streakBall State, 6 (1988–2003)
Current win streakBall State, 1 (2023–present)
Blue Key Victory Bell is located in Indiana
Ball State
Ball State
Indiana State
Indiana State
Locations of Ball State and Indiana State

The Blue Key Victory Bell is presented to the winner of the college football game between Indiana State University and Ball State University.[1][2][3][4][5] The two schools met regularly between 1924 and 1991 but sporadically since that season. They have competed for the Victory Bell since 1940; from 1924 to 1947 they were Indiana Intercollegiate Conference rivals and from 1951 to 1967 they were Indiana Collegiate Conference rivals. Ball State was a regional campus of Indiana State University from 1918 to 1961; since the 1961–62 academic year, Ball State has operated independently.

History

Early in the series, games would be played either at Terre Haute, Indiana (hosted by Indiana State) or Muncie, Indiana (hosted by Ball State). The first two games between the schools took place at Terre Haute in 1924 and 1925; then the series between the schools continued on a near home-and-home basis from 1931 to 1983. From 1984 to 1989, the games were played at a neutral site, Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis; during this era, Indiana State moved down to Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) while Ball State remained Division I-A (now Division I FBS). The last home-and-home cycle for this game was in 1990 and 1991. Since 2002, all games in this series have been played in Muncie. The Victory Bell continues to be the official game trophy, even though the Ball State/Indiana state series has become less frequent since the 1990s.

In 1940, the Blue Key chapters at both Indiana State and Ball State agreed to donate a bell to the winner of the football game between their two schools.[6]

On September 13, 2014, Indiana State beat Ball State for their first win over Ball State since 1987.[7] The most recent game in the series occurred on September 16, 2023 in which Ball State defeated Indiana State by a score of 45-7.[8]

Game results

Ball State victoriesIndiana State victoriesTie games

See also

References

  1. "ISU football defeats Ball State 27-20 to win Victory Bell". Tribune-Star. September 14, 2014. Archived from the original on 2022-06-12. ISU defeated in-state rival Ball State 27-20 at Scheumann Stadium on Saturday.
  2. "Victory Bell game between Ball State Indiana State on Saturday". Muncie Free Press. September 10, 2014. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11. That interstate rival has not played in a decade and Ball State won the last matchup 31-7 in 2003.
  3. "Ball State loses Victory Bell to Indiana State, stumbles on last possession". Muncie Free Press. September 14, 2014. Archived from the original on October 5, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11. With Family Weekend bringing more fans besides the interstate rivalry, it took more than an hour to move traffic out of the stadium with the large crowd.
  4. "Perish, Indiana State push past Ball State 27-20". USA Today. Associated Press. September 13, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11. The Indiana State vs. Ball State game is played for the Victory Bell, which was returned to the Sycamores for the first time since 1987.
  5. "Previewing Ball State vs. Indiana State". The Indianapolis Star. September 11, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  6. "Football Gameday Central: Sycamores Battle Ball State For Victory Bell Saturday". Indiana State. September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  7. "The Bell Tolls For Sycamores In 27-20 Victory At Ball State". Indiana State Sycamores. September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  8. https://ballstatesports.com/news/2023/9/16/FB_ISURecap.aspx
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