History of the Chicago Cardinals to terms with the Bidwills, engineering a deal that sent the Cardinals to St. Louis, Missouri beginning with the 1960 season in a move which also blocked St. Louis as a potential market for the new AFL, which began play the same year. Despite the presence of a baseball team already named the St. Louis Cardinals, the football team kept its name upon relocation there, and would be referred to as "the football Cardinals" until it departed for Arizona following the 1987 season. The Chicago Cardinals have the distinction of being the only team in American professional football history to
Ball State Cardinals football depicts several cornstalks in tribute to the prevalence of maize around the respective home states of the rivals. Northern Illinois holds a 24–20–2 lead in the series through the 2018 season. Ball State has produced a total of 27 NFL draft selections. The following "Active" and "All-Star" lists account for past and present Ball State University football players that have participated in the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, and the Arena Football League. As of December 2017, there are a total of 2 Cardinals listed on team rosters in the NFL, CFL, and AFL. Among the numerous Cardinals