The first step in making students care about Ball State football is showing that the athletic department cares about Ball State football.
Saturday, the athletic department did just that, giving students more reasons to be interested than the efforts of other campus organizations. The athletic department's ideas did not involve hot dogs or inconvenient dining hall closings.
First was the traditional Victory Bell that goes to the winner of the Ball State/Indiana State game. The last time this game was played was in 1991.
The fireworks that followed each Cardinal score and the grand finale that followed the victory over Indiana State were a clear demonstration that the athletic department has student interest in mind.
The department also resurrected the tradition of "Pushing the Pigskin," during which a 1200 lb. concrete hog is pushed by students all around the stadium concourse. Some may have seen this as odd, we see it as a good attempt to add fun and drum up student interest.
American flags were also distributed to fans, adding a patriotic twist to an afternoon on the gridiron.
Despite these noble attempts, overall attendance was still below the Division I standard of 15,000. The announced attendance was 12,924 on Saturday.
However, the athletic department needn't be discouraged. There is plenty of football to be played this year, and now that students have seen this team win, higher attendance is almost certain.
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