study and more than 100 masters, doctoral, certificate, and specialist degrees.
In 1917, the Ball brothers, industrialists and founders of the Ball Corporation, acquired the foreclosed Indiana Normal Institute and gave the school and surrounding land to the State of Indiana. The Indiana General Assembly accepted the donation in the spring of 1918, with an initial 235 students enrolling at the Indiana State Normal School – Eastern Division on June 17, 1918. Ball State is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Ball State athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are known as the Ball State Cardinals. The university is a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), competing at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Subdivision. Ball State's volleyball program is a member of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA).
== History ==
=== Predecessor schools ===
The location of today's Ball State University had its start in 1899 as a private university called …
