Blue Key Victory Bell

Blue Key Victory Bell
Ball State Cardinals Indiana State Sycamores

Sport(s) Football
Total meetings 65
Series record Ball State leads, 39–24–1
First meeting October 18, 1924
Indiana State 47, Ball State 0
Last meeting September 13, 2014
Indiana State 27, Ball State 20
Largest win Indiana State, 47–0 (1924)
Longest win streak Ball State, 6 (1988–2003)
Longest unbeaten streak Indiana State, 3 (1924–1931)
Current win streak Indiana State, 1 (2014–present)
Trophy Blue Key Victory Bell
Ball State 
University
Indiana State 
University
Locations in Indiana

The Blue Key Victory Bell is presented to the winner of the college football game between Ball State University and Indiana State University. The two schools have met periodically since 1924 and have competed for the Victory Bell since 1940; from 1924-1947 they were Indiana Intercollegiate Conference rivals and from 1951-1967, they were Indiana Collegiate Conference rivals.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

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 Ball State and Indiana State agreed to donate a bell to the winner of the football game between their two schools.[12]

On September 13, 2014, Indiana State beat Ball State for their first win over Ball State since 1987.[1] As of 2014, this is the final scheduled game between the two schools.[13]

Game results

Winning team is shown in a bold font. Ball State victories are in red. Indiana State victories are in blue.

Year Ball State Indiana State Location
Pre-Victory Bell (1924–1939)
1924 Ball State 0 Indiana State 47 Terre Haute
1925 Ball State 7 Indiana State 20 Terre Haute
1931 Ball State 7 Indiana State 13 Terre Haute
1932 Ball State 12 Indiana State 0 Muncie
1933 Ball State 6 Indiana State 9 Terre Haute
1934 Ball State 15 Indiana State 6 Muncie
1935 Ball State 6 Indiana State 12 Terre Haute
1936 Ball State 0 Indiana State 3 Muncie
1937 Ball State 7 Indiana State 0 Terre Haute
1938 Ball State 13 Indiana State 9 Muncie
1939 Ball State 28 Indiana State 7 Terre Haute
Pre-Victory Bell: Indiana State 6–5
Victory Bell (1940–present)
1940 Ball State 7 Indiana State 27 Muncie
1941 Ball State 7 Indiana State 0 Terre Haute
1942 Ball State 7 Indiana State 0 Muncie
1946 Ball State 0 Indiana State 3 Terre Haute
1947 Ball State 14 Indiana State 10 Muncie
1948 Ball State 10 Indiana State 7 Terre Haute
1949 Ball State 34 Indiana State 6 Muncie
1950 Ball State 32 Indiana State 0 Muncie
1951 Ball State 0 Indiana State 0 Muncie
1952 Ball State 33 Indiana State 0 Terre Haute
1953 Ball State 33 Indiana State 6 Muncie
1954 Ball State 13 Indiana State 14 Terre Haute
1955 Ball State 19 Indiana State 6 Muncie
1956 Ball State 26 Indiana State 14 Terre Haute
1957 Ball State 20 Indiana State 0 Terre Haute
1958 Ball State 26 Indiana State 8 Muncie
1959 Ball State 8 Indiana State 29 Terre Haute
1960 Ball State 23 Indiana State 26 Muncie
1961 Ball State 0 Indiana State 4 Muncie
1962 Ball State 0 Indiana State 22 Terre Haute
1963 Ball State 15 Indiana State 7 Muncie
1964 Ball State 0 Indiana State 17 Terre Haute
1965 Ball State 52 Indiana State 15 Terre Haute
1966 Ball State 31 Indiana State 20 Muncie
1967 Ball State 26 Indiana State 24 Terre Haute
1968 Ball State 14 Indiana State 20 Muncie
1969 Ball State 0 Indiana State 26 Muncie
1970 Ball State 28 Indiana State 26 Terre Haute
1971 Ball State 20 Indiana State 17 Muncie
1972 Ball State 21 Indiana State 10 Terre Haute
1973 Ball State 18 Indiana State 17 Muncie
1974 Ball State 22 Indiana State 31 Terre Haute
1975 Ball State 20 Indiana State 16 Muncie
1976 Ball State 24 Indiana State 9 Muncie
1977 Ball State 42 Indiana State 18 Terre Haute
1978 Ball State 7 Indiana State 0 Muncie
1979 Ball State 13 Indiana State 18 Terre Haute
1980 Ball State 28 Indiana State 21 Muncie
1981 Ball State 7 Indiana State 31 Terre Haute
1982 Ball State 0 Indiana State 17 Muncie
1983 Ball State 14 Indiana State 35 Terre Haute
1984 Ball State 6 Indiana State 34 Indianapolis
1985 Ball State 29 Indiana State 27 Indianapolis
1986 Ball State 16 Indiana State 3 Indianapolis
1987 Ball State 23 Indiana State 24 Indianapolis
1988 Ball State 24 Indiana State 10 Indianapolis
1989 Ball State 34 Indiana State 27 Indianapolis
1990 Ball State 42 Indiana State 0 Muncie
1991 Ball State 14 Indiana State 10 Terre Haute
2002 Ball State 23 Indiana State 21 Muncie
2003 Ball State 31 Indiana State 7 Muncie
2014 Ball State 20 Indiana State 27 Muncie
Victory Bell: Ball State 34–19–1
Current series: Ball State 39–25–1

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "The Bell Tolls For Sycamores In 27-20 Victory At Ball State". Indiana State Sycamores. September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  2. "All-Time Series Records Versus 2014 Opponents" (PDF). Indiana State Sycamores. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  3. "ISU football defeats Ball State 27-20 to win Victory Bell". Tribune-Star. September 14, 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-02-25.
  4. "Victory Bell game between Ball State Indiana State on Saturday". Muncie Free Press. September 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  5. "Ball State loses Victory Bell to Indiana State, stumbles on last possession". Muncie Free Press. September 14, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  6. "Perish, Indiana State push past Ball State 27-20". USA Today. September 13, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  7. "Indiana State Beats Ball State". WTWO. September 14, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  8. "Perish, Indiana State push past Ball State 27-20". WTHR. September 13, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  9. "Previewing Ball State vs. Indiana State". The Indianapolis Star. September 11, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  10. "Perish, Indiana State push past Ball State". The Times of Northwest Indiana. September 13, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  11. "Perish, Indiana State push past Ball State 27-20". Associated Press. September 13, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  12. "Football Gameday Central: Sycamores Battle Ball State For Victory Bell Saturday". Indiana State. September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  13. "Ball State Cardinals". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved September 25, 2014.