BALL STATE: Football Team to Play at Northwestern in 2015

BALL STATE SPORTS NEWS

Ball State's football team has announced a future game at Northwestern and will face the Wildcats in 2015 in Evanston, Ill.

"We are excited about Ball State's football team playing a game at Northwestern," athletics director Bill Scholl says. "All the credit goes to former athletics director Tom Collins who scheduled the contest before my arrival. Ball State has an outstanding tradition in football and has consistently played a quality non-conference schedule. We will continue to schedule games that are good for our student-athletes, the school, our fans and our alumni."

Ball State's non-conference schedule for 2015 now includes Northwestern and a home game with Middle Tennessee State.

"We could not be happier about adding this quality Bowl Championship Series opponent to the 2015 non-conference schedule," Ball State head football coach Pete Lembo says. "We are trying to implement a scheduling model for the future and this game is a perfect fit."

The Cardinals have announced non-conference games for 2013, which will include hosting Illinois State and Army and playing at North Texas and Virginia. In 2014, Ball State has games scheduled at Illinois State, at Iowa, at Army and vs. Colgate.

"Northwestern's head football coach Pat Fitzgerald runs a class football program and, like Ball State, takes great pride in maximizing the potential of his student-athletes in all areas of their lives," Lembo says. "We have a large number of Ball State alumni and donors residing in Chicago and the suburbs. We also recruit heavily in that area. This will be a relatively short bus trip and a great opportunity to take on another Big Ten Conference opponent."

Ball State will open the 2012 season with a home game vs. Eastern Michigan Thurs., Aug. 30, at Scheumann Stadium.