1980–81 Ball State Cardinals men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 1980–81 Ball State Cardinals Basketball Ball State Athletics wordmark.png 250 Mid-American Conference MAC 20–10 10–6 Steve Yoder Irving Gymnasium MAC Regular season co-championsMAC tournament champions NCAA tournament The 1980–81 Ball State Cardinals men's basketball team represented Ball State University as a member of the Mid-American Conference during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cardinals were led by head coach Steve Yoder and played their home games at Irving Gymnasium in Muncie, Indiana. After finishing in second place during the MAC regular season, Ball State won the MAC tournament to receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament the first appearance in program history. As No. 12 seed in the Mideast region, the Cardinals were beaten in a very competitive game by No. 5 seed Boston College in the opening round, 93–90. The team finished with a record of 20–10 (10–6 MAC). Roster 1980 Ball State Cardinals y y Ray McCallum G 5 9 So West Memphis, Arkansas y Steve Yoder https://ballstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1980-81 Schedule and results 1980-81 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings 1980 yes |- !colspan=9 style=Ball State Cardinals| Non-conference regular season Nov 29, 1980 yes yes Indiana 5 Assembly Hall Bloomington, Indiana 69–75 0–1 Dec 9, 1980 yes yes Wisconsin Wisconsin Field House Madison, Wisconsin 72–85 0–2 Dec 13, 1980 yes 1980 men Indiana State Sycamores Indiana State Irving Gymnasium Muncie, Indiana 76–60 1–2 Dec 22, 1980 yes yes 1980 men Bradley Braves Bradley Robertson Memorial Field House Peoria, Illinois 73–106 1–3 Dec 27, 1980 yes Nebraska Irving Gymnasium Muncie, Indiana 67–62 2–3 Jan 5, 1981 yes yes 1980 men Butler Bulldogs Butler Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana 69–66 3–3 |- !colspan=9 style=Ball State Cardinals| MAC regular season Feb 28, 1981 yes 1980 men Central Michigan Chippewas Central Michigan Rose Arena Mount Pleasant, Michigan 83–84 17–9 10–6 |- !colspan=9 style=Ball State Cardinals| MAC tournament Mar 3, 1981 yes Ohio Irving Gymnasium Muncie, Indiana Quarterfinals 85–70 18–9 Mar 4, 1981 yes yes 1980 men Toledo Rockets Toledo Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, Michigan Semifinals 79–77 19–9 Mar 5, 1981 yes yes 1980 men Northern Illinois Huskies Northern Illinois Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, Michigan Championship game 79–66 20–9 |- !colspan=9 style=Ball State Cardinals| NCAA tournament Mar 13, 1981 yes yes 12 ME Boston College 5 ME Memorial Coliseum Tuscaloosa, Alabama First round 90–93 20–10 yes AP Poll Eastern Time SourceRecord Book http://static.ballstatesports.com/custompages/mbb/pdfs/record-book.pdf Ball State University Athletics April 23, 2023 References Category:1980–81 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season 1989-90 Category:1980 in sports in Indiana Category:1981 in sports in Indiana Category:1981 NCAA Division I basketball tournament participants