In an exclusive interview, DePauw University head football coach Brett Dietz shared with Get IN. Sports co-hosts Dom Miranda and Nate Spangle that the 2026 Monon Bell Classic between the DePauw Tigers and Wabash Little Giants will be played on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Scheumann Stadium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Kickoff is set for 1:07 p.m. ET.
Why One of College Football's Oldest Rivalries Is Moving Temporarily
Since the 2025 Monon Bell Classic was played at Little Giant Stadium on Wabash's campus, DePauw was set to be the host of the 2026 edition. However, an $80 million renovation to DePauw's Blackstock Stadium and Performance Center isn't set for completion until 2028, so DePauw officials sought a temporary host site for the fall.
Insert Scheumann Stadium, home of the Ball State Cardinals.
This could be one of the biggest games Scheumann Stadium has hosted in years. Ball State has had just one winning season since 2014, going 7-1 in the COVID-impacted 2020 campaign. On the flipside, DePauw has had just one losing season since 2014, and Wabash hasn't finished a season under .500 since 1990 (4-5).
Facts About Scheumann Stadium
Scheumann Stadium was completed in 1967 and could originally hold 16,000 fans. It hosted its first Ball State football game that fall on Oct. 21, when the Cardinals defeated Butler 65-7.
The stadium underwent a $13.6 million renovation in 2007, with $4 million donated by former Ball State football player John Scheumann and his wife, June. The renovation included an increased stadium capacity to its current number of 22,500, along with permanent lighting for night games.
Scheumann Stadium has eclipsed 20,000 fans 16 times in its history, including four occurrences apiece in 1997 and 2008. Led by head coach Brady Hoke, the Cardinals started the '08 season 12-0 and won their final home game over Western Michigan in front of a Scheumann Stadium record 23,861 fans. They then lost in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game to Buffalo (42-24) and the GMAC Bowl to Tulsa (45-13). Scheumann Stadium hasn't hosted a crowd of more than 20,000 fans since that memorable 2008 run.
DePauw and Wabash could make attendance history.
Facts About the DePauw-Wabash Rivalry
The DePauw-Wabash football rivalry began in 1890 and is the sixth most-played rivalry game in Division III and the 12th most-played in college football. 2026 will mark the 132nd meeting between the two teams. Wabash leads the all-time series 63-59-9.
The estimated 300-pound Monon Bell traveling trophy given to the game's winner was introduced in 1932, and it was originally mounted on a wagon. Wabash also leads the Monon Bell series, but it's by an even tighter margin of 44-43-6.
In 124 games played on either of the two campuses, the home team has a 59-57-8 record.
DePauw has won each of the last four matchups.
The schools' hometowns of Greencastle and Crawfordsville are connected by U.S. 231 in west-central Indiana and are separated by 30 miles. The campuses themselves are only separated by 27 miles.
Oh, and the largest attendance in DePauw-Wabash football history? 11,743 fans attended the 2010 meeting at Little Giant Stadium. That number will be in serious jeopardy when Nov. 14, 2026 arrives.
