Rivalry leaderboard
Ball State-Northern Illinois Greatest Games
The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 40/100
- Overtime
- 2
Series context
- Completed meetings
- 49
- Series record
- Ball State 24-24-1 Northern Illinois
- Tracked years
- 1941-2025
- Trophy
- Bronze Stalk Trophy
Series ranking
The rivalry's top 25 games
0 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.
- 2004Week 101OT
Northern Illinois at Ball State
Northern Illinois 38, Ball State 31
Winner: Northern Illinois
Unranked Northern Illinois vs. Unranked Ball State · 7-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 9/15
37
Game score
- 1971Week 7
Northern Illinois at Ball State
Northern Illinois 10, Ball State 10
Result: Tie
Unranked Northern Illinois vs. Unranked Ball State · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
- 1988Week 10
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 18, Northern Illinois 17
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
- 1984Week 6
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 15, Northern Illinois 14
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
- 1980Week 3
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 18, Northern Illinois 17
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
- 1975Week 8
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 3, Northern Illinois 0
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 3-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
Game score
- 2001Week 13
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 29, Northern Illinois 33
Winner: Northern Illinois
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 4-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
31
Game score
- 1969Week 7
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 13, Northern Illinois 17
Winner: Northern Illinois
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 4-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
31
Game score
- 1998Week 6
Northern Illinois at Ball State
Northern Illinois 13, Ball State 18
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Northern Illinois vs. Unranked Ball State · 5-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
30
Game score
- 1997Week 10
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 21, Northern Illinois 14
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 7-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
28
Game score
- 1982Week 5
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 14, Northern Illinois 7
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 7-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
28
Game score
- 1986Week 1
Ball State at Northern Illinois
Ball State 20, Northern Illinois 10
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Ball State vs. Unranked Northern Illinois · 10-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
25
Game score
- 1974Week 10
Northern Illinois at Ball State
Northern Illinois 21, Ball State 31
Winner: Ball State
Unranked Northern Illinois vs. Unranked Ball State · 10-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
25
Game score
Methodology
How each game earns up to 100 points
AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.
Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.
Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.
Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.