Hope College9-2D3 TOP 25 #17Cautious optimism is building around Hope College.
The Flying Dutchmen of Hope College in Holland, Michigan — a multi-time MIAA champion steeped in Dutch heritage, locked in one of Division III's fiercest rivalries with neighboring Calvin.
Hope is a proud MIAA champion with deep Dutch roots in Holland — and everything outside the conference forgets the Flying Dutchmen exist until they play Calvin.
Quiet weeks in Flying Dutchmen country.
Hope College · Next-Season Outcome Band
Hope College · 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
Warming
Four of five. The board favors this trend.
Opens Sep 5
vs Denison · away
Game Week
11 days
until kickoff · at Denison · Sat Sep 5 · 17:00 UTC
The Flying Dutchmen of Hope College in Holland, Michigan — a multi-time MIAA champion steeped in Dutch heritage, locked in one of Division III's fiercest rivalries with neighboring Calvin.
Hope College sits 2nd in the Michigan Conference and 25th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — inside the projected 40-team field on the at-large math.
| 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 62-0 over Loras College; toughest day 26-29 against Alma.
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Hope College
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Fanbase Signals
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 | — | — | — | @Loras College | W 62–0 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #430 | #569 | — | @Franklin | W 38–14 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #442 | #482 | — | Mount St. Joseph | W 31–28 | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #448 | #457 | — | Alma | L 26–29 | 3-1 | 0-1 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #446 | #533 | — | @Trine | W 55–35 | 4-1 | 1-1 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #446 | #612 | — | Kalamazoo | W 56–21 | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #442 | #437 | — | @Adrian | W 19–17 | 6-1 | 3-1 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #429 | #566 | — | @Albion | W 62–0 | 7-1 | 4-1 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #420 | #545 | — | Calvin | W 52–0 | 8-1 | 5-1 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #414 | #657 | — | Olivet | W 63–6 | 9-1 | 6-1 |
| Bowl Season | ||||||||
| 14 | Nov 29 | #404 | #398 | — | Wisconsin La Crosse | L 7–9 | 9-2 | 6-1 |
Home-Field Advantage · Hope College · 2018-present
Average
79% home win rate vs 77% on the road. margin runs -2.5 weaker at home. Ray and Sue Smith Stadium seats 5,300.
64°F average kickoff temp; 17% of games had measurable precipitation; 9 mph average wind.
Based on 24 home games with weather data.
All-Time Record
34-9
since 2022 · 4 seasons · .790 win rate
Moment of the Year · Hope College · 2025
Moment of the Year · Hope College · 2025Postseason · Lost 7-9 vs Wisconsin La Crosse
Week 14 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
Postseason History
Postseason HistoryRecent postseason (2025): 0-1
Most recent: 2025 — loss 7-9 (home). Last 5 postseason: 0-1.