People are starting to take a little more notice of the Ball State University football team this year.
An event-record 1,766 people walked around Scheumann Stadium on Sunday afternoon meeting this year's Cardinals' football team at Ball State's Fan Jam.
The Fan Jam - an annual event hosted by the athletics department for about five years - gave people the chance to meet and interact with the Ball State players and coaches.
Coach Stan Parrish said the amount of community support at the Fan Jam was speculator.
"It's grown every year," the first-year Ball State head coach said. "We have a wonderful setting this year to play in and it's a beautiful day."
The free event also featured free food, free drinks and members of the Ball State women's volleyball team signing autographs.
The record attendance at the Fan Jam comes one year after Ball State finished the regular season undefeated and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the BCS Standings before losing in the Mid-American Conference championship game and GMAC Bowl. Following the conference championship loss, Parrish was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach when Brady Hoke resigned as Ball State's head coach to become the head coach at San Diego State University.
Despite the impressive turnout, Parrish said the only thing missing from the Fan Jam was having the 8,000 students in the student section of the stands, like he hopes there will be for the Cardinals' season opener.
Ball State will open the season against the University of North Texas at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 at Scheumann Stadium. The Cardinals were predicted to finish the MAC West Division in fifth place in the conference's preseason poll released earlier this month.
"We need a student body," Parrish said. "We need them. They are us and we are them. We need them to connect with our team. We are very young and we need them all hear."
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