The 2001 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State University in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its seventh season under head coach Bill Lynch, the team compiled a 5–6 record (4–1 against conference opponents) and tied for first place in the MAC West. The team played its home games at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.