Photo: Mishimishimishi, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Calvin University football has officially moved into its own stadium on Knollcrest, ending two-plus seasons of playing home games somewhere else. The Knights returned every borrowed field with a thank-you note.
"For two years we were houseguests. Now we finally get to host people and apologize for the seating like proper West Michiganders," said Kyle VanderMolen, 34, a Calvin alum who still calls the campus Knollcrest and says it like a password.
A folding chair from the old soccer-field sideline, speaking on background, said Knight Stadium is "ready for company." The bleachers behind the visiting sideline are scheduled to be added before the Oct. 17 home game.
The project has officially entered the phase of every West Michigan construction effort where everyone says "it'll be nice when it's done" while standing in the part that is done. The real payoff comes in November, when Hope College visits and the region's most polite rivalry finally gets a home address.
For the first time, Calvin will get to tell Hope "welcome to our house" from its own football stadium. Early reports suggest it will be said warmly, followed immediately by an offer to take their coats.
Reality Check
Calvin University opened Knight Stadium, its first on-campus football stadium, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, MLive reported. The Knights celebrated with a 66-20 win over previously undefeated Olivet in front of a capacity crowd. The young program waited two years to play its first true home game, after spending its first season at nearby Grand Rapids Christian High School and its second at the adjacent Calvin Soccer Stadium. The stadium is not quite finished. Calvin returns home Saturday, Oct. 17, for a noon kickoff against Kalamazoo College, and by then visitor's side bleachers will be installed and seating capacity will expand to 3,600. MLive noted that the site went from a grass practice field to a 3,600-seat home. The win moved Calvin to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The folding chair was not available for comment.
Reality Check: read the real story from MLive
Correction, Sept. 29, 2026: An earlier version misstated the stadium's current capacity and where the team played its second season.
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