Nate Davis no longer does a double take, but he still doesn't understand it when he sees Ball State University students wearing Indiana University apparel around campus.
The Cardinals' junior quarterback said few things bug him more than seeing his fellow students wearing other teams' clothing. The Hoosiers cream and crimson is a sight he sees far too often.
"I hate when I'm walking through campus, and I see other people wearing different school's [apparel]," Davis said. "I'll be like, 'Why can't you wear Ball State stuff? I mean, you're on Ball State's campus. You go to Ball State. Why do you rep other schools?' ... I'm just saying, if you go to this school, why don't you represent your own school?"
Davis said he usually gets funny looks in return, but he's not the only Cardinals player who turns red at the sight of Indiana's crimson and cream.
Senior cornerback Trey Buice said students who insist on wearing Hoosier paraphernalia should travel two hours south to the Bloomington campus.
"It pushes us to come out here and put on a good show for those who want to wear the IU T-shirt," Buice said. "If we come out here and put on a show, maybe they'll put on a Ball State sweatshirt."
If the in-state rivalry against Indiana is more personal, it didn't stop Ball State players - such as linebacker Davyd Jones - from delivering the company line.
"Our goal is to win every game; it just so happens that IU is in the way," Jones said. "It's more important to just win as a team. Them being in our way is just a coincidence."
Even Jones couldn't keep from showing how much Saturday's game means to him. The sophomore grew up in Muncie, attended Muncie Central High School and made the choice to stay close to home and play for the Cardinals.
In other words, he's heard the Hoosier hype his entire life, while having Ball State in his backyard.
"It bugs me more than anything in the world," Jones said. "I mean, this is your college. This is who you represent every day. So why would you represent some other school that doesn't have anything to do with you?"
It's a rhetorical question the players ask. They know Indiana is king of college sports in this state.
The Hoosiers' basketball program is perhaps the most successful sports team in the state's college athletics history. The football team has begun this season with a 2-0 record after making its first bowl appearance last year since 1993.
Ball State is in a similar situation, albeit with less notoriety within the state. The Cardinals are in the midst of their best start in two decades, and fans have whispered the possibility of potential BCS implications later this season.
Ball State coach Brady Hoke said the affect Saturday's game has on fans makes it slightly more meaningful than a regular game, but the mind set of his team has stayed the same.
"We take the same approach every week - we've got to improve," Hoke said. "We're more concerned about us as a team getting better, so we can be a team that will play its best every week."
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