Ball State football 2026 season prediction | Will Cardinals make a bowl game?

Sights from the first Ball State football 2026 fall camp practice

Ball State football season is just a week away, so it's time to break down the Cardinals' schedule with our game-by-game predictions.

Ball State is coming off a 4-8 season in head coach Mike Uremovich's debut campaign. The Cardinals have not won six games to qualify for bowl eligibility since 2021 and have not won a bowl game since 2020, which is also the last year the Cardinals won the Mid-American Conference.

Will Uremovich lead the Cardinals to the postseason in year two? Here's what we think will happen with Ball State football in 2026:

The Cardinals will open their season on the road against one of the giants of the sport. Ohio State is the No. 1 ranked team in the preseason Coaches Poll and AP Poll, and the Buckeyes are loaded with future NFL talent like superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith. An upset by little ol' Ball State would immediately become one of the greatest in the history of the sport, but Cardinals fans shouldn't get their hopes up.

Prediction: Ohio State 56, Ball State 7 . Cardinals are now 0-1.

Ball State's home opener will pit the Cardinals against Stony Brook, an FCS team that plays in the Coastal Athletic Association. Ball State's last two FCS opponents — New Hampshire in 2025 and Missouri State in 2024 — gave them all that they could handle, but Stony Brook hasn't had as much recent success as those two programs did entering those matchups. The Cardinals pick up their first victory in front of the home crowd.

Prediction: Ball State 31, Stony Brook 15. Cardinals are now 1-1.

The nonconference slate continues with a road trip to Lynchburg, Virginia, where Ball State will take on Liberty. The Flames have been one of the most successful Group of Five/Six programs since moving up to the FBS ranks with six bowl appearances and a Conference USA championship in the last seven years, but they matched Ball State's 4-8 record last year in their worst FBS season yet. However, Liberty is more well-resourced than your typical G6 programs, and they have the means to reload on talent for a bounce-back season. Ball State made things interesting on the road at UConn last season and could do the same this year, but it's tough to imagine Liberty's slump lasting longer than one season.

Prediction: Liberty 27, Ball State 21. Cardinals are now 1-2.

The MAC season begins with a road trip to Kent State. The Golden Flashes won just one game combined in the 2023 and 2024 seasons but showed rapid improvement under head coach Mark Carney, who led them to a 5-7 record and 4-4 MAC record in 2025. Kent State nearly beat Ball State in Muncie last year, and the Golden Flashes return starting QB Dru DeShields (2,030 yards with 18 TDs and 3 INTs) along with several other offensive weapons. With more continuity and home field advantage, Kent State gets its first win over Ball State since 2019.

Prediction: Kent State 20, Ball State 17. Cardinals are now 1-3 (0-1 MAC).

Toledo has been one of the most consistent programs in the MAC this century, having not posted a losing record since 2009. However, the Rockets are in a period of transition after longtime coach Jason Candle left to take over at UConn, leaving former Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs to take over. Toledo still has plenty of talent and will likely be favored entering this game, but the Cardinals pull off an early-season upset similar to last year's MAC opener against Ohio.

Prediction: Ball State 25, Toledo 24. Cardinals are now 2-3 (1-1 MAC).

Ball State's final nonconference game will take the Cardinals to Evanston, Illinois, for another Big 10 opponent. While Northwestern is a far less formidable foe than Ohio State, the Wildcats still put up big numbers against the Cardinals in their brand-new stadium.

Prediction: Northwestern 38, Ball State 13. Cardinals are now 2-4 (1-1 MAC).

Bowling Green is in a similar spot to Ball State, as both programs are coming off 4-8 seasons under new head coaches. The Falcons only have six returning starters and a young roster, so they are a bit of an enigma as far as MAC teams go. Head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Eddie George brought in the MAC's top-ranked recruiting class, but it's probably too early for them to make a big impact on this one. Ball State overcomes last season's road jitters and survives a surprising shootout to get the first road win over the Uremovich era.

Prediction: Ball State 38, Bowling Green 34. Cardinals are now 3-4 (2-1 MAC).

The newest member of the MAC will pay a visit to Muncie just before the schedule shifts into midweek MACtion mode. The possibility of a "Ball-Sac Bowl" has gone viral on social media ever since Sacramento State joined the conference as a football-only member, and the internet is sure to be ablaze with some crass humor leading up to this game. Perhaps that viral attention stokes the flames of a new rivalry and motivates the Cardinals to put together a dominant showing.

Prediction: Ball State 31, Sac State 13. Cardinals are now 4-4 (3-1 MAC).

Ball State's first MACtion game of the season will send the Cardinals to Amhert, Massachusetts, to take on another one of the conference's newer members. UMass joined the MAC in all sports ahead of the 2025-26 academic year, but its first football season in the conference did not bode well as the Minutemen finished 0-12. They are expected to remain one of the worst teams in college football this season, and Ball State takes advantage of it on national TV.

Prediction: Ball State 24, UMass 14. Cardinals are now 5-4 (4-1 MAC).

After a long road trip to the Northeast for their first MACtion game, the Cardinals will return home to host another Northeastern MAC foe. Former Ball State coach Pete Lembo is now the head coach at Buffalo and will return to Muncie for the first time since resigning as the Cardinals coach in 2015. The Bulls were expected to be one of the better teams in the conference last year but finished in the middle of the pack and lost a majority of starters on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals take down a rebuilding team and clinch bowl eligibility with their sixth win.

Prediction: Ball State 17, Buffalo 13. Cardinals are now 6-4 (5-1 MAC).

Ball State's final MACtion game will send it on the road to Athens, Ohio, where the Bobcats will have a first-year head coach in John Hauser. Like Toledo, the Bobcats have been one of the better programs in the conference with at least nine wins and a bowl victory in each of the last four years. Ohio will also be out for revenge after an early-season loss in Muncie last year likely cost them a shot at the MAC Championship.

Prediction: Ohio 29, Ball State 17. Cardinals are now 6-5 (5-2 MAC).

The regular season finale brings the Cardinals back to Muncie to take on Central Michigan. The Chippewas qualified for a bowl game last year under first-year head coach Matt Drinkall and return most of their starting offensive line and weaponry. The defense presents a lot more question marks after losing a lot of veteran production, and by this point in the season, Ball State's offense is grooving. The Cardinals finish the year undefeated at home after an exciting game.

Prediction: Ball State 42, Central Michigan 38. Cardinals are now 7-5 (6-2 MAC).

Monday, Dec. 21, vs. North Dakota State in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Ball State just misses out on the MAC Championship but qualifies for its first bowl game since 2021 by winning seven games. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl typically features a Mountain West team vs. a MAC team, so we're projecting a matchup with North Dakota State, a first-year MWC program which just made the jump to FBS after years as an FCS dynasty. The Bison remain a formidable program despite making that division jump and send the Cardinals home from Boise disappointed.

Prediction: NDSU 27, Ball State 14. Cardinals finish 7-6 (6-2 MAC).

Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10 .