Calvin University7-3The Knights of Grand Rapids, a Christian Reformed university that launched brand-new football in 2024, playing its inaugural Division III seasons in the MIAA.
Plenty assumed a brand-new 2024 program would be a doormat for years — Calvin's whole project is proving a startup can grow up fast in the MIAA.
The Knights polish their armor.
Calvin University · Next-Season Outcome Band
Calvin University · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Mixed
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Opens Sep 5
vs Otterbein · away
Game Week
11 days
until kickoff · at Otterbein · Sat Sep 5 · 16:00 UTC
The Knights of Grand Rapids, a Christian Reformed university that launched brand-new football in 2024, playing its inaugural Division III seasons in the MIAA.
Calvin University sits 4th in the Michigan Conference and 57th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — on the at-large bubble — the conference title is the surer route.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alma | 7-0 | 8-3 | 64.2 |
| 2 | Hope | 6-1 | 9-2 | 65.0 |
| 3 | Adrian | 5-2 | 8-2 | 60.6 |
| 4 | Calvin | 4-3 | 7-3 | 59.1 |
| 5 | Trine | 3-4 | 5-5 | 52.0 |
| 6 | Kalamazoo | 1-6 | 4-6 | 44.4 |
| 7 | Albion | 1-6 | 3-7 | 43.7 |
| 8 | Olivet | 1-6 | 1-9 | 36.9 |
Win the Michigan Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Signature win 88-6 over Oberlin; toughest day 0-52 against Hope.
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Calvin University
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sep 6 | — | — | — | @Oberlin | W 88–6 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #586 | #536 | — | Concordia-Wisconsin | W 34–7 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #567 | #545 | — | @Heidelberg | W 40–37 | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #559 | #624 | — | Kalamazoo | W 24–16 | 4-0 | 1-0 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #553 | #451 | — | @Alma | L 6–55 | 4-1 | 1-1 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #561 | #442 | — | Adrian | L 17–48 | 4-2 | 1-2 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #573 | #517 | — | Trine | W 34–31 | 5-2 | 2-2 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #569 | #647 | — | Olivet | W 50–20 | 6-2 | 3-2 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #545 | #420 | — | @Hope | L 0–52 | 6-3 | 3-3 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #562 | #569 | — | @Albion | W 53–24 | 7-3 | 4-3 |
Home-Field Advantage · Calvin University · 2018-present
Elite
80% home win rate vs 36% on the road. margin runs +5.4 better at home. Grand Rapids Christian High School.
All-Time Record
9-11
since 2024 · 2 seasons · .450 win rate
Moment of the Year · Calvin University · 2025
Moment of the Year · Calvin University · 2025Won 88-6 at Oberlin
Week 2 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.