The 1990 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its sixth season under head coach Paul Schudel, the team compiled a 7–4 record (5–3 against conference opponents) and finished in a tie for third place out of ten teams in the MAC. The team played its home games at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.