IU football to start 2006 season against Ball State

Despite being just a few hours away, the IU football team has never paid a visit to its northern neighbors, the Ball State Cardinals. That will change Sept. 9, 2006, when IU begins its second season under head coach Terry Hoeppner in Muncie.\nBall State announced yesterday that it will open its home schedule by hosting the Hoosiers. The IU-Ball State game rests in the middle of a three game, Big Ten stretch for the Cardinals, who visit Michigan the week before and host Purdue the following week.\n"Having coached in the (Mid-American Conference) for 19 years, I have tremendous respect for Ball State," Hoeppner said. "Playing in-state teams like Ball State is great for college football and the state of Indiana."\nIU has only played Ball State twice, in 1997 and in 1999, but never in Muncie. \nHoeppner said that MAC teams always get pumped up for games against the Big Ten, citing a 2002 game he coached at Miami University of Ohio versus Iowa. He said the Big Ten opponent provided a great atmosphere at Miami, and he expects similar atmospheres in Muncie next year and at Central Michigan on Sept. 2.\nIU has yet to release its 2006 non-conference schedule.