The Calvin University football team will host The University of Olivet on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Calvin's Homecoming Game contest at Knight Stadium. Saturday's contest will mark the first game in the new facility and will feature a sellout crowd. Saturday's game will also be the MIAA opener for both teams. Calvin and Olivet both enter Saturday's game with 3-0 overall records. 

Calvin is under the direction of head coach Trent Figg who guides his 112-member roster in year three this fall. 

Tickets - The game is a sellout. 

How to Watch/Listen:  Saturday's game can be followed by Live stream, live audio and live stats.

The Calvin live stream broadcast can be found online at: Calvin-Olivet Live Stream Broadcast.  The game will also be aired throughout West Michigan on WXSP-TV. In addition, Saturday's game will air on Grand Rapids radio Station 96.1 FM The Game iHeart Radio at: 96.1 The Game iHeart Radio. An audio stream will also be available through Michigan Sports Radio (Michigansportsradio.com).

Live statistics of the game will be produced at: Calvin/Olivet Live Stats.

Inside Calvin Football / MIAA Football Pulse -  Beginning October 13, join Calvin head football coach Trent Figg  for this year's  edition of Inside Calvin Football,  on 96.1 The Game and Michigan Sports Radio.  The show is live from Big E's Sports Grille on East Beltline and begins at 7pm.  Fans are welcome to attend to meet players, coaches and other Calvin fans. Starting on September 24, WXSP-TV and WOOD-TV+ bring The MIAA Football Pulse – a 30-minute television program providing fans with up-to-date coverage, expert insights, highlights, and exclusive interviews from across the MIAA. The MIAA Football Pulse airs Thursday, September 24 at 7:30pm on WXSP-TV and on demand at WOOD-TV+.   It's powered by People Driven Technology, Van Wyk Risk Solutions and Culver's.

Radio/TV -Catch the Knights all season long ,home and away, on 96.1FM The Game and Michigan Sports Radio.   Home games are televised live on WXSP-TV.

The Lead-Up – Calvin is in season three under head coach Trent Figg. The Knights are coming off a 7-3 campaign in 2025 after producing a 2-8 record in year one (2024). Calvin finished fourth in the 2025 MIAA standings with a 4-3 conference record and was picked to finish fourth in the 2026 MIAA preseason coaches' poll. Calvin returns 72 letterwinners including 10 starters on offense and eight starters on defense from its 2025 campaign. The Calvin Knights take on the Comets of The University of Olivet. Like Calvin, the Comets are off to a 3-0 start through non-conference play. Olivet was picked to finish eighth in the MIAA preseason conference poll but is off to a quick start behind a high-octane offense that averages 295.0 passing yards a game. Saturday's game is an historic occasion for Calvin University as it marks the first home game in Knight Stadium.

A Look at the Series – Saturday's contest marks the third meeting between the two teams with Olivet taking the opener 21-13 in 2024 at Olivet with Calvin coming back to top the Comets 50-20 at Calvin Soccer Stadium last November.

A Look at Last Year – Calvin rolled to a 50-20 win over Olivet at Calvin Soccer Stadium. Calvin had 440 yards of total offense and forced Olivet into four turnovers, three fumbles and one interception. Calvin rushed for 280 yards led by Hayden Slegers with 93 yards with Nick Earles running for 84. Earles ran for three touchdowns with Slegers running for two. Quarterback Thomas Vaccaro ran for a touchdown and threw for 160 yards and a score. Hunter Hogan had five catches for 73 yards. Luke Michmerhuizen had four grabs for 47 yards and a touchdown. Carson Schnurstein had 12 tackles for Calvin with Caiden Bolduc posting a pair of sacks.

MIAA/Non-Conference – The MIAA was 14-10 in non-conference games in September with Calvin, Hope and Olivet leading the list with 3-0 starts. Adrian and Trine were both 2-1 with Kalamazoo 1-2. Albion and Alma were both 0-3.

The Calvin Coach-Head coach Trent Figg was hired on January 6, 2023. He has a career won-loss record of 12-11 heading into Saturday. Figg is a native of Chillicothe, Missouri, located an hour-and-a-half from Kansas City. He is a 2008 graduate of William Jewell College where he was a four-year member of the football program as a special teams ace and defensive back. He later earned his master's degree from Northwest Missouri State in 2013. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at (then NAIA) William Jewell and later had stints as the special teams coordinator and defensive coordinator at D2 Southern Arkansas, defensive coordinator at William Jewell and special teams coordinator at Missouri State. He later spent two years (2019-21) at the University of Hawaii, serving as chief of staff of the football program and later associate head coach. In 2022, he served as the lead offensive analyst for the University of Oregon football program under head coach Dan Lanning. Figg and Lanning are former teammates and roommates at William Jewell College and stood up for each other at their respective weddings.

A Look at the Olivet Head Coach– Erik Ieuter is in his second year as head coach of the University of Olivet. Prior to his tenure at Muskingum, Ieuter served as an offensive quality control assistant at the University of Florida, where he honed his analytical and coaching skills at the highest levels of collegiate football. His career also includes 11 successful seasons at Michigan Technological University, where he served in various roles, including recruiting coordinator, wide receivers/special teams coordinator and offensive coordinator. During his time at Michigan Tech, the team secured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Championship, a testament to his ability to foster a winning culture. A graduate of Albion College, Ieuter was a standout wide receiver and punt returner, contributing to two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships during his playing career. He also holds a master's degree in health and physical education from Adams State College. Olivet went 1-9 last year but is off to a 3-0 start this fall with wins over Millikin, North Park and Manchester.

More on Olivet – Olivet is led by junior quarterback Daniel Avila who is back for his second year as starting quarterback. Avila has completed 75.7 percent (53 of 70) of his passes for 673 yards and 10 touchdowns against only one interception. He has also 20 times for 83 yards and a touchdown. Last Saturday the Comets rolled to a 56-33 win at Manchester. Junior quarterback Daniel Avila had a big outing, completing 26 of 32 passes for 325 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 27 yards. He was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Avila has thrown for 673 yards and 10 touchdowns this fall. He has three primary receivers in junior Caleb Rudd, sophomore Carter Leatherwood and sophomore Julian Toscano. Rudd has 14 receptions, 211 yards and a touchdown. Leatherwood has 15 catches, 194 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns while Toscano, a tight end, has 14 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Jaylan Johnson leads the ground game with 210 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.0 yards a carry. Sophomore linebacker Javon Peterson leads the defense with 15 tackles, 6.5 for loss and five sacks. Junior defensive back Nehemiah Reed has 13 tackles and one interception. Sophomore punter Aeson Hawks averages 38.3 yards a punt.

Game Three Rewind – Calvin quarterback Thomas Vaccaro accounted for 399 yards of total offense, passing for 300 and running for a career-high 99 yards in leading Calvin to a 41-7 victory at Franklin last Saturday. Vaccaro was 27 of 37 passing for 300 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 99 yards and a score. Hunter Hogan had a career-high 13 receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. Luke Michmerhuizen and Hayden Slegers also had touchdown receptions. Calvin limited Franklin to just 106 yards of total offense including just 22 on the ground. The Knights led 14-7 at halftime and outscored the Grizzlies 27-0 in the second half.

Calvin in the NCAA III Statistics  – After three games, Calvin has the 4th-ranked overall offense in Division III, averaging 589.0 yards a game. In addition, Calvin has the 12th-ranked passing offense, averaging 337.7 passing yards per game. The Knights also have the 17th-ranked rushing offense with an average of 251.3 yards per game on the ground. Calvin has the 12^th-ranked scoring offense at 47.7 points a game. Quarterback Thomas Vaccaro is the national leader in touchdown passes (13) and is ranked 4^th in overall passing yards (893) and 14^th in passing yards per game (297.7). Hunter Hogan is ranked fourth in total touchdowns (8) and points (48), sixth in touchdown receptions (6) and ninth in points-per-game (16.0).

Olivet in the NCAA III Statistics – Olivet also ranks high in the NCAA offensive statistics through three games. The Comets are ranked 18^th in scoring offense (46.0) and 25^th in passing offense (295.0). Individually, junior quarterback Daniel Avila is ranked sixth in passing touchdowns (10). Receiver Carter Leatherwood is ranked second in touchdown receptions (7), 13^th in points-per-game (14.0) and sixth in total points (42). Running back Jaylan Johnson is eighth in rushing touchdowns (5).

MIAA and D3football.com Honor Roll – Hogan was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week this past Monday for the second time in his career on Sept. 14 while Kolanowski was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for the first time the same afternoon. On Sept.15, Kolanowski earned a national honor, landing a spot on the D3football.com National Team of the Week. On the Olivet side, quarterback Daniel Avila was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week this past Monday as well as on….Olivet sophomore linebacker Javon Peterson was named to the D3football.com National Team of the Week on September 8.

Record Breakers – Thomas Vaccaro broke a Calvin single-game record for touchdown passes on Sept 5 at Otterbein with five in the win at Otterbein, breaking the previous record of four set by Chase Bradman (twice) in 2024. Hunter Hogan established a new Calvin record for the longest rushing touchdown with his 69-yard first quarter burst. Last Saturday at Franklin, Hogan set another single-game record, this time for most receptions in a game with 13. Paul Hubbard set a Calvin record for the longest kick return with a 45-yard return in the Sept. 5 game at Otterbein.

Snarling Schnurstein – Calvin is led by preseason All-American linebacker Carson Schnurstein who was picked as a D3football.com All-America Second Team choice last month. Schnurstein was named to the 2025 All-MIAA First Team and to the D3football.com All-Region IV Second Team last fall. He amassed a Calvin single-season record 115 tackles last fall, 52 solo and 63 assisted. He was amongst the NCAA Division III leaders in tackles throughout the 2025 campaign. He tallied 14.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback sacks. He was also credited with three interceptions, three forced fumbles, four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.

More Conference Accolades – Schnurstein was one of four Calvin players to receive All-MIAA honors last year with all four returning. The remaining trio include junior running back/slot receiver Hunter Hogan, junior offensive lineman Brayden Steinbacher and senior defensive lineman C.J. Sheets. Hogan, Steinbacher and Sheets were all named to the 2025 All-MIAA Second Team.

Hogan's a Hero – Calvin junior Hunter Hogan is coming off a big sophomore campaign. He atoned for a team-leading 1,454 all-purpose yards in 2025. He rushed for 868 yards on 155 carries with eight rushing touchdowns including a long of 65 yards. He added 451 receiving yards by way off 39 receptions with two receiving touchdowns. He was also credited with 135 yards of kick return yardage. He had back-to-back 200-yard games on the ground in September, rushing for 215 yards on 34 carries in a 34-7 win over Concordia (Wisc.) and came back with 233 rushing yards on 41 carries in a 43-40 overtime win over Heidelberg the following week. Hogan has played in 20 career games at Calvin and scored 17 touchdowns across those contests.

1,000 Yards Times Two – Hogan became the first player in Calvin history to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in both rushing and receiving in the Sept. 12 win over St. Norbert. He now has 1,074 yards on the ground and 1,223 yards receiving in his three-year Calvin career.

Calvin Quarterback Room – Calvin returns senior quarterback Thomas Vaccaro who grabbed the starting role last year and never let up. A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Vaccaro was 177 of 286 (61.89%) through the air for 1,794 yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. He is backed up by sophomore Beau Harris and freshmen Noah Escobedo and David Dirksen. Junior Drake Irwin has moved to tight end but also has strong experience at quarterback.

Family Tree – Calvin's leading returning receiver is junior Luke Michmerhuizen who snagged 57 catches for 618 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025 including a walk-off overtime touchdown grab to defeat Heidelberg 43-40. He is Calvin's career leader in receptions (117), receiving yards (1,444) and receiving touchdowns (17). The 6-7 Michmerhuizen is the second member of his immediate family to be a Calvin varsity athlete as his older sister Nicole was a multiple All-American for the Calvin women's track and field team including a national champion in the 10,000 meter run in 2013. His father Mark Michmerhuizen is an associate professor in the Calvin engineering department. Sister Nicole was a chemical engineering and biochemistry student at Calvin, an Academic All-American and later a PhD recipient from the University of Michigan in the field of pharmacology. Luke is also an engineering student at Calvin.

MIAA Preseason Poll – Calvin was picked to finish fourth out of eight teams in the 2065 MIAA preseason poll with champion Hope selected as the MIAA's pre-season favorite with defending champion Alma picked  second. 2026 MIAA Preseason Poll: 1. Hope, 2. Alma, 3. Adrian, 4. Calvin, 5. Trine, 6. Albion, 7. Kalamazoo, 8. Olivet.

A Look at Calvin – Calvin features a 112-man roster this fall which includes 35 freshmen and 19 sophomores, 49 juniors, seven seniors and two grad students as part of its 112-man roster. 13 players feature from other states including Illinois (4), Texas (2), California (1), Louisiana (1), Tennessee (1), North Carolina (1), Florida (1), New Mexico (1) and New York (1) with the remaining 103 coming from Michigan.

The Calvin Offense by the Numbers – (50 total) - Quarterbacks (5), Running Backs (8), Wide Receivers (13), Tight Ends (5), Offensive Lineman (19). (Calvin also has 5 kicker/punters)

The Calvin Defense by the Numbers – (57 total)-  Defensive Linemen (21), Linebackers (11), Defensive Backs (25).  

Double Duty – The Calvin roster features a pair of two-sport Calvin varsity athletes in sophomores Paul Hubbard (DB) and Gavin Currie (WR). Both are also members of the Calvin men's track and field team and helped the Knights capture 2026 MIAA Indoor and Outdoor titles. Currie was a hurdler and scored in the 60 meter hurdles (fifth place) at the MIAA Indoor Meet. Hubbard competed in the long jump at the MIAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and placed second in the event with a leap of 22-3 ½ to earn a spot on the All-MIAA Second Team for outdoor track and field.  

OK-Red Flavor – The Calvin football team has a strong representation from the Ottawa-Kent (OK) Red Conference as 17 players hail from the West Michigan based conference. The individuals include players from Caledonia (Reed Vogeler), Hudsonville (Cooper Roberts), Rockford (Seth Anderson, Drake Irwin, Mike Liggett, McCoy Baxter, Gavin Currie), Jenison (Zaiden Chirco, Rowan Stewart, Trevor Martens), East Kentwood (ShaMar White, Breylon Cox, Gabe Wolf), Grand Haven (Logan Minier) and Grandville (Aven Kaat and Keegan Kroll).  

Oh Brother – The roster features a set of brothers out of Grand Rapids Northview High School in sophomore offensive lineman Andre Johnson and freshman defensive lineman Keandre Johnson. 

Cousin Connection – Junior quarterback/punter Drake Irwin and junior wide receiver Jude Klunder are first cousins.  

Portage Power Plant – The Calvin defense features three Portage Central High School graduates that will all see significant time this weekend including senior linebacker Carson Schurstein and freshmen defensive backs Gavin Grueter and Nolan Bloomquist.  

Classroom Distinction – The 2025 Calvin football team features 13 individuals that were named to the 2025-26 MIAA Academic Honor Roll for maintaining a 3.50 grade point average or above for the entire academic year while earning a varsity letter. Those 13 individuals include: Paul Bouma, Drake Irwin, Brady Jacobs, Brok Jones, Caden Kolanowski, Leighton Kolk, Luke Michmerhuizen, Nathan Mikesell, Micah Pobursky, Tanner Steffens, Brayden Steinbacher, Thomas Vaccaro and Reed Vogeler.  

Transfer Portal – Calvin has 11 players that have transferred over from other collegiate football programs. Those nine individuals are senior C.J. Sheets (Davenport University), senior Sam Gallo (Concordia, Mich.), junior Aiden O'Brien (Hope College), junior M'khi Guy (Wayne State University), senior Justin Evans (Davenport University), senior Dominique Williams (Olivet), sophomore Logan Ginter (Fort Lewis College), senior Thomas Vaccaro (Samford University), junior Tyler Porte (Central Michigan University), junior Carter Bylsma (Dordt University) and sophomore Brock Sperling (Western Illinois University).  

Traveling from Out-of-State – Calvin features 15 players from outside Michigan. Those players include senior C.J. Sheets (Longwood, Fla.), junior Hayden Slegers (Ontario, Ca.), freshman David Dirksen (Davis, Ca.), freshman Kaeson Pressley (Los Angeles, Ca.), senior Thomas Vaccaro (Franklin, Tenn.), freshman Noah Escobedo (Oak Lawn, Ill.), sophomore Christian Flutman (Orland Park, Ill.), freshman Joseph Gray (Chicago, Ill.), sophomore Edward Van Dellen (Evergreen Park, Ill.), junior Max Lenters (Palos Heights, Ill.), sophomore Brock Sperling (Palos Heights, Ill.), freshman Rike Niyongabo (Dillon, S.C.), sophomore Logan Ginter (Evergreen, Colo.), freshman Brayden Cartier (Chandler, Ariz.) and junior Jaden Lewis (Spring, Tx.).  

High Schools Represented – The high schools with the most represented players are: Hudsonville Unity Christian (7), Rockford (6), Holland Christian (4) and Chicago Christian (4).

A Look Ahead – Calvin will travel to Adrian for a 3 p.m. contest next Saturday at Adrian's Docking Stadium.