The 1940 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State Teachers College (later renamed Ball State University) as a member of the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (IIC) during the 1940 college football season. In their eighth season under head coach John Magnabosco, the Cardinals compiled a 3–4–1 record (2–3 against IIC opponents), tied for ninth place out 14 teams in the conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 78 to 69.[1]
Ball State was ranked at No. 289 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.[2]
The team played its home games at Ball State Field in Muncie, Indiana.