Players who played for the Ball State Cardinals and Illinois Fighting Illini
5 players have played for both the Ball State Cardinals and the Illinois Fighting Illini. John Paddock spent the most seasons with the two: 4 with the Ball State Cardinals and 1 with the Illinois Fighting Illini. On a roster now: Christian Abney, Ty Robinson, Jared Badie, and Justin Bowick. Every season since 2004 is on file.
| Player | Pos | BALL | ILL |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Paddock | — | 2018–2022 · 4 seasons · 16 G | 2023 · 1 season · 6 G |
| Christian Abney | TE | 2023–2024 · 2 seasons · 7 G | 2025–2026 · 2 seasons · 4 G |
| Ty Robinson | WR | 2023–2025 · 3 seasons · 12 G | 2026 · 1 season · 4 G |
| Jared Badie | LB | 2026 · 1 season · 3 G | 2022 · 1 season |
| Justin Bowick | WR | 2024 · 1 season · 4 G | 2025 · 1 season · 10 G |
Regular season, under every name each club has played as; a season split by a trade counts for both clubs. A name with no link is a player known here only from the league’s own records: MLB’s statsapi, NBA.com, the NHL’s stats and, for the NFL before 1993, nflverse’s rosters, which carry no games. Longest stay with the two first.
Ball State Cardinals vs Illinois Fighting Illini: head-to-head record →