The Ball State Cardinals have added the UT Martin Skyhawks to their 2027 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned.
Ball State will host UT Martin at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Ind., on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2027. The Cardinals will pay the Skyhawks a $350,000 guarantee for playing the game, according to a copy of the contract obtained from Ball State University via a state public records request.
The 2027 Ball State-UT Martin contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
The University of Tennessee-Martin, located in Martin, Tenn., is a member of the Big South-OVC Football Association in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Skyhawks finished the 2022 season 7-4 overall and 4-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
With the addition of UT Martin, Ball State has tentatively completed its non-conference football schedule for the 2027 season. The Cardinals are scheduled to open the season on the road at the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sept. 4 before hosting the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Sept. 11 and visiting the Kentucky Wildcats on Sept. 25.
Ball State now has five future games scheduled against FCS opponents. The Cardinals are also slated to host Indiana State in 2023, Missouri State in 2024, New Hampshire in 2025, and Stony Brook in 2026.
Ball State is the second scheduled non-conference opponent for UT Martin in 2027. The Skyhawks are also scheduled to host the Indiana State Sycamores on Sept. 4 that season.
Football Schedules