Ball State football will play Georgia State in Camellia Bowl on Christmas Day

Robby General, Muncie Star Press
·2 min read

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State football received an early Christmas gift. The Cardinals (6-6, 4-4 MAC) will play Georgia State (7-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl on Christmas Day in Montgomery, Alabama.

This is just the third time in program history the Cardinals will play in back-to-back bowl games. The other two instances were in 2007-08 and 2012-13.

Ball State is one of a Mid-American Conference-record eight teams that accepted bowl invitations for the 2021 season. The Cardinals join Toledo (Bahamas Bowl, Dec. 17), Northern Illinois (Cure Bowl, Dec. 17), Eastern Michigan (Lending Tree Bowl, Dec. 18), Kent State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 21), Miami (Frisco Football Classic, Dec. 23), Western Michigan (Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 27) and Central Michigan (Arizona Bowl, Dec. 31) as MAC representatives.

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"I could not be happier for our students, coaches and fans selected to play in a Conference record eight bowl games," MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a release. "The matchups are exciting and present opportunities for memorable experiences for those involved. I appreciate our bowl partners who work all year to facilitate unique experiences for game participants and fans."

Ball State has previously played Georgia State twice, including during Mike Neu's first game as the Cardinals head coach on Sept. 2, 2016. Ball State won that game, 31-21. In their other meeting, on Oct. 17, 2015, Georgia State beat Ball State, 31-19.

This marks Ball State's 11th bowl appearance in school history. The Cardinals have previously played twice in Alabama, including 2009 in the GMAC Bowl and the 2014 GoDaddy.com Bowl.

Ball State and Georgia State ended their seasons on much different notes.

The Cardinals lost three of their last five games, dominating Buffalo, 20-3, in the regular season finale to earn bowl eligibility.

The Panthers, meanwhile, won six of their last seven games and finished second in the Sun Belt East Division, beating Coastal Carolina 42-40.

Ball State and Georgia State have one similar opponent this season, Army. Georgia State opened the season with a 43-10 loss to the Black Knights while Ball State beat Army 28-16 on Oct. 2.

Ball State will take on Georgia State at 2:30 p.m. EST, 1:30 p.m. local (CST). The game will be televised on ESPN.

Ticket information can be found here.

Ball State head coach Mike Neu leads his team onto the field prior to a Mid-American Conference game against Miami (Ohio) at Scheumann Stadium Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Miami defeated Ball State 24-17.
Ball State head coach Mike Neu leads his team onto the field prior to a Mid-American Conference game against Miami (Ohio) at Scheumann Stadium Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Miami defeated Ball State 24-17.

Robby General covers Ball State and East Central Indiana high school athletics for The Star Press. Contact him via email at rgeneral@gannett.com, on Twitter @rgeneraljr or phone at 765-283-8864.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State football: Cardinals to play Georgia State in Camellia Bowl