Ball State became a sporadic leader in the Mid-American Conference, winning a record seven MAC tournaments between 1981 and 2000.

The Cardinals also accomplished a large feat during the 2001 Maui Invitational Tournament, when they upset #4 Kansas and #3 UCLA on consecutive days.

In 2017, the Cardinals beat #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion by a score of 80-77, breaking a sixteen year drought against ranked teams.

Ball State's most successful year was 1990, when they reached the Sweet Sixteen but lost to eventual national champion UNLV, 69–67.

The Cardinals lost in the Sweet 16 to the eventual national champions UNLV Runnin' Rebels, 69–67.

They upset the Oregon State Beavers in what was star point guard Gary Payton’s last game in college.

Meanwhile, in Muncie, fans stormed the village (the center of Ball State's off campus social scene) after the win.

Ball State shut down one of the best offenses in college basketball history and had a chance to win it in the final seconds.