Bronze Stalk Trophy

Battle for the Bronze Stalk

Ball State Cardinals Northern Illinois Huskies
Sport	Football
First meeting	October 4, 1941 Ball State 6, Northern Illinois 6
Latest meeting	November 10, 2021 Northern Illinois 30, Ball State 29
Next meeting	November 2022
Trophy	Bronze Stalk Trophy (2008–present)
Statistics
Meetings total	49
All-time series	Northern Illinois leads, 25–22–2
Trophy series	Northern Illinois leads, 11–3
Largest victory	NIU 63–17 (2017)
Longest win streak	NIU, 10 (2009–2018)
Current win streak	Northern Illinois, 1 (2021–present)

100km
62miles

Northern Illinois

Ball State

  

Locations of Ball State and Northern Illinois

The Bronze Stalk Trophy is presented to the winner of the annual college football game between Mid-American Conference rivals Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The two interstate rivals began competing for this trophy in 2008.

Designed by nationally recognized sculptor and DeKalb artist Renee Bemis, the trophy depicts several cornstalks in tribute to the prevalence of maize around the respective home states of the rivals.

The first meeting between the two occurred in 1941, a 6–6 tie; the Huskies lead the all-time series 25–22–2, having won 17 of the last 22 meetings. Ball State won the inaugural contest for the Bronze Stalk at Scheumann Stadium in 2008, with Northern Illinois winning the trophy for the first time the following season on Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium.

Game results

Ball State victories

Northern Illinois victories

Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	1941	DeKalb, IL	Tie	6–6
2	1942	Muncie, IN	Ball State	14–0
3	1966	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	38–24
4	1967	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	28–14
5	1968	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	40–20
6	1969	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	17–13
7	1970	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	31–14
8	1971	DeKalb, IL	Tie	10–10
9	1973	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	45–17
10	1974	Muncie, IN	Ball State	31–21
11	1975	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	3–0
12	1976	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	33–7
13	1977	Muncie, IN	Ball State	31–6
14	1978	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	31–13
15	1979	Muncie, IN	Ball State	42–0
16	1980	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	18–17
17	1981	Muncie, IN	Ball State	23–0
18	1982	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	14–7
19	1983	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	27–14
20	1984	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	15–14
21	1985	Muncie, IN	Ball State	29–0
22	1986	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	20–10
23	1987	Muncie, IN	Ball State	42–17
24	1988	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	18–17
25	1997	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	21–14

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
26	1998	Muncie, IN	Ball State	18–13
27	1999	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	37–17
28	2000	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	43–14
29	2001	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	33–29
30	2002	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	41–29
31	2003	DeKalb, IL	#21 Northern Illinois	48–23
32	2004	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	38–31
33	2005	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	31–17
34	2006	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	40–28
35	2007	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	27–21
36	2008	Muncie, IN	#16 Ball State	45–14
37	2009	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	26–20
38	2010	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	59–21
39	2011	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	41–38
40	2012	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	35–23
41	2013	DeKalb, IL	#20 Northern Illinois	48–27
42	2014	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	35–21
43	2015	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	59–41
44	2016	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	31–24
45	2017	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	63–17
46	2018	Muncie, IN	Northern Illinois	24–16
47	2019	DeKalb, IL	Ball State	27–20
48	2020	Muncie, IN	Ball State	31–25
49	2021	DeKalb, IL	Northern Illinois	30–29
Series: Northern Illinois leads 25–22–2