June 22, 2026 · Dead Period · Heritage Window · 2026 Outlook

Calvin University

7-3 2025 final

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.

The Knights polish their armor.

Record

7-3

win% .700

Conference

4th of 8

Michigan · 4-3

Index Rating

59.1

D3 #57 of 240

Playoff Path

On the bubble

Dead PeriodOffseasonPatientPost-win — basking

The Long Wait·Offseason

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.

Standard GapA startup program writing its first chapter — there is no past record to…

Build a program from zero into an MIAA contender — give a faith-grounded campus its own Saturday tradition and a first winning season to point to.

low signal

Read the full program story ↓

Offseason

69 days

until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC

Act I

The 2026 Outlook

DIVISION III · THE PATH TO THE STAGG BOWL

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.

Michigan · 2025

	Team	Conf	Overall	Index
1	Alma	7-0	8-3	64.2
2	Hope College	6-1	9-2	65.0
3	Adrian	5-2	8-2	60.6
4	Calvin University	4-3	7-3	59.1
5	Trine University	3-4	5-5	52.0
6	Kalamazoo	1-6	4-6	44.4
7	Albion	1-6	3-7	43.7
8	Olivet College	1-6	1-9	36.9

59.1 CFB Zeitgeist#57 of 240 D351.7 strength of schedule2 quality wins

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.

Source: CFB Zeitgeist — conference records + NPI-style rating from 2025 games · the field is 40 teams, NPI-selected

THE 2025 SEASON · 7-3

Signature win 88-6 over Oberlin; toughest day 0-52 against Hope College.

—

The Knights polish their armor.

What moved it — offseason · last 30 days

June Dead-period quiet — official-visit + heritage window —

Camp Fall camp ~40 days out

"Go Knights." — Calvin University fanbase · recurring line

0 mentions · awaiting signal

Winning record—

The baseline for a successful season.

Conference title—

The primary goal and national bracket path.

32-team bracket qualifierLocked—

One of 32 national tournament entries.

Stagg BowlLocked—

The Division III national championship game.

Floor 5-7

Base 7-5

Ceiling 10-2

floor5-7Rebuild year. Below .500.

base7-5Mid-table finish.

ceiling10-2Deep playoff run. Program-defining year.

Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.

Act II

Who We Are

Home-Field Advantage · Calvin University · 2018-present

Elite

80% home win rate vs 36% on the road. margin runs +5.4 better at home.

Home4-1Away4-7

Act III

Last Season Reviewed

2025 season · tap to expand

Recent Form · last 10 games

Mixed

Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.

Streak W1Last 5 · 3-2Last 10 · 7-3

Schedule Strength · Calvin University · 2025

Balanced

Average opponent win rate 50% across 10 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.

Opp Win %0.506

Moment of the Year · Calvin University · 2025

Won 88-6 at Oberlin

Week 2 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.

Decisive Margin

From the Archive — Calvin University

2024: Lost 30-35 at Trine University

In 2024, the program lost 30-35 at Trine University — a close road result, 5 points either way.

Knights claim the day.