Same Bird, New Threads

While maintaining an offseason conditioning program, Charlie Cardinal has undergone a summer transformation prior to the 2023-24 Ball State athletics season. Charlie's roughly $40,000 makeover has resulted in a leaner, more muscular mascot that was funded exclusively by the Ball State Alumni Association and unveiled during a students' Welcome Night on Thursday evening inside Worthen Arena.

The Alumni Association has played a prominent role in the development and design of the Cardinals' mascot, as well as helping Ball State's top bird stay fashion-friendly and trendy with multiple outfits throughout the sports calendar. The spirited host of Ball State, Charlie is an ambassador for the university around the campus and the state of Indiana. Balding and losing feathers, though, with his coat fading, the Alumni Association helped with his first reconditioning since 2012. Charlie's new uniform is designed for ease of movement, sight and comfort.

Over the past 53 years since he was established as the official mascot of Ball State's athletic programs in 1969, Charlie has undergone a change in appearance only five times.

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