When Ball State was picked to repeat as Mid-American Conference champion, coach Mike Neu shrugged off the prediction in his typically low-key manner.
He knew the history.
The last six league champs came from six different campuses. Only three teams have earned back-to-back crowns since the first championship game in 1997. And no MAC school has won consecutive titles since 2011-12.
So while he’s confident Ball State can defy the odds, he’s more focused on making the long journey back.
“A year ago we were a team that, we were scary but we couldn’t finish,” he said.