Bronze Stalk Trophy

Battle for the Bronze Stalk
SportFootball
First meetingOctober 4, 1941
Ball State 6, Northern Illinois 6
Latest meetingOctober 26, 2024
Ball State 25, Northern Illinois 23
Next meeting2025
TrophyBronze Stalk Trophy (2008–present)
Statistics
Meetings total52
All-time seriesTie, 25–25–2
Trophy seriesNorthern Illinois leads, 11–6
Largest victoryNIU 63–17 (2017)
Longest win streakNIU, 10 (2009–2018)
Current win streakBall State, 3 (2022–present)
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.[1]

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. Currently, the all-time series is tied 25–25–2. 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.[2]

  1. ^ "Northern Illinois and Ball State to Play for The Bronze Stalk". NIUhuskies.com. November 21, 2007.
  2. ^ "Northern Illinois Opponents". Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.