Future non-conference opponents
2017
Sept. 2 at Illinois
Sept. 23 at Western Kentucky
2018
Sept. 8 at Notre Dame
Sept. 15 at Indiana
Sept. 22 vs. Western Kentucky
2019
Ball State vs. Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, (date TBD)
Sept. 14 vs. Florida Atlantic
Sept. 21 at North Carolina State
2020
Sept. 12 at Michigan
Sept. 19 at Indiana
2021
Sept. 11 at Penn State
Oct. 2 vs. Army
Ball State football and Penn State have agreed to play in Beaver Stadium in 2021.
Located in University Park, Pennsylvania, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the country with a capacity of 106,572. By comparison, the entire city of Muncie has a population of 70,087, according to U.S. Census estimates.
It will be the first meeting between the two schools, but the Cardinals have experience playing in large stadiums.
Last season, the Cardinals played Texas A&M at Kyle Field, the fourth-largest stadium in the nation, in College Station, Texas, on Sept. 12, 2015. In that 56-23 loss, Ball State pocketed $1.2 million.
Ball State is also scheduled to play the University of Michigan in 2020 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "The Big House" is currently the largest stadium in the country with a capacity of 107,601.
The Cardinals are now scheduled to play a Big Ten opponent in each of the next six seasons, including Indiana in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, Illinois in 2017, Michigan in 2020 and Penn State in 2021.