Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2017
Don Purvis was Ball State’s director of intercollegiate athletics for men from 1984-95 and led the department to the Reese Trophy three times. The Reese Trophy is awarded to the Mid-American Conference school that has the best overall finish in six men’s sports, with the schools having to count their finishes in football, basketball and baseball. Under the guidance of Purvis, the Cardinals won 22 conference championships in men’s sports, and the football team appeared in its first-ever NCAA Division I-A bowl games. The men’s basketball team made four trips to the NCAA Tournament, two National Invitation Tournaments and one preseason NIT. The men’s volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Championships five times, and the 1989 men’s cross country team appeared in the NCAA Championships.
