The Ball State Cardinals have announced their 2024 non-conference football schedule, which features the addition of a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Ball State will travel to face Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.

The game at Vanderbilt was added as a result of the Army Black Knights canceling their game against Ball State in 2024, which was scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 31. Army is joining the American Athletic Conference next season and has to cancel most of their future scheduled games.

“I am pleased that we negotiated a great opportunity to play Vanderbilt in October,” said Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. “Football scheduling is a complex endeavor especially when previously scheduled opponents have a shift in conference affiliation. As we weighed all options in scheduling a fourth non-conference game, playing Vanderbilt is in the best interest of our program.”

Ball State will open its 2024 slate at home at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Ind., against the Missouri State Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 7, which is Week 2 of the season. The Cardinals will also travel to face the Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 14 and the James Madison Dukes on Sept. 28.

Per the release on Thursday, Ball State will begin Mid-American Conference (MAC) play on Saturday, Sept. 21. The 2024 MAC football schedule will be announced this spring.

The 2024 MAC Championship Game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 6, according to the announcement.

Future Ball State Football Schedules