Editor's note: In honor of the university's centennial year, The Daily News is counting down 100 days to the university's celebration Sept. 6 with 100 of Ball State's most famous traditions and figures. Check back each day to read about Cardinal history.
An annual competition that consists of a variety of student organizations singing and lip-syncing to popular music for the title of Air Jam champions has become a Homecoming tradition.
Before being added to the list of Homecoming festivities, Air jams were a popular competition on campus.
In this Dec. 14, 1984, edition of The Daily News, Bad Attitude was named the Student Foundation Air Jam champions. The group won with its rendition of Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher."
While Homecoming officially started at the university in 1926, Air Jam wasn’t added to the lineup of events until 1987, according to Ball State’s website. It joined the ranks of Bed Races and the Homecoming parade, but it has quickly become a crowd favorite.
The competition, which usually features around 18 teams, is held the Thursday of Homecoming week in John R. Emens Auditorium.
In the past, so many teams wanted to participate that they camped out to secure a spot in the competition. Last year, however, the Homecoming Steering Committee decided to put the names of all the organizations wishing to participate into a drawing and the first 20 to be pulled would get to perform.
Performers aren’t the only ones to camp out for the show. In the past, many Cardinals brought food and pitched tents between McKinley parking garage and Sursa Performance Hall in order to secure $15 tickets to the show.
RELATED: Ball State students camp out 24 hours before Air Jam tickets go on sale
Teams are judged by a panel of Ball State alumni. They are judged based on costumes, music, choreography and cleanliness of dancing and lip-synching.
While the competition has only been around 30 years, one organization has won the title of Air Jam champions nine times.
READ MORE: Outlet wins Ball State Air Jam for 9th time
Outlet Hip Hop Dance Troupe was awarded the title again during its 2017 performance which featured songs that went with the year’s Homecoming theme, “Cardinals Around the World.”
The group will again have the chance to defend its title during this year’s Air Jam, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, in Emens Auditorium.
Read more centennial content here.
Contact Brynn Mechem with comments at bamechem@bsu.edu or on Twitter @BrynnMechem.
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