Calvin Knights

The Calvin Knights are the Calvin University athletics teams. Calvin University fields 10 men's and 11 women's varsity intercollegiate teams that participate in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III level.[2] Men's volleyball will be added as the 22nd varsity sport for the 2024 season (2023–24 school year); since the MIAA sponsors volleyball only for women, that team will play in the single-sport Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League.[3]

Calvin Knights
Logo
UniversityCalvin University
ConferenceMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
MCVL (men's volleyball, from 2023–24)
NCAADivision III
Varsity teams21 (22 in 2023–24)
MascotJoust the Knight
NicknameKnights
ColorsMaroon and gold[1]
   

History of the name

Between 1920–21 and 1926–27, the school's athletic teams were known as the "Calvin-ites.[4] The first reference to the "Calvin Knights" appeared in 1926–27.[4]

Teams

There are currently both men's and women's varsity athletic teams participating in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving,[lower-alpha 1] tennis, and track and field (indoor and outdoor).[2][lower-alpha 2] In addition, there is a men's varsity baseball team and women's varsity softball and volleyball teams. Men's volleyball will be added in 2023–24.[2]

Calvin also fields an American Collegiate Hockey Association men's ice hockey team.[2]

Athletic facilities

The Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex is home to the combined health, physical education, recreation, dance and sport department. In Spring 2007, the college began a $50 million construction project to renovate and expand the Calvin Fieldhouse. The fieldhouse reopened in Spring 2009 as the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex. The 362,000 square feet (33,600 m2) facility includes a new 5,000-seat arena (Van Noord Arena) which is currently the largest arena in a Division III school, an Olympic-regulation swimming pool (Venema Aquatic Center) which seats about 550, a tennis and track center (Huizenga Tennis and Track Center) containing 4 tennis courts and a 200-meter track, 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) of weight training rooms and a custom made rock climbing wall.[5] The Hoogenboom Health and Recreation Center contains the original renovated gym that is now used for basketball, volleyball, PE classes, intramurals, and many concerts. The Hoogenboom Center also has two dance studios as well as racquetball courts and exercise science laboratories.

Calvin–Hope rivalry
Main article: Calvin–Hope rivalry

In 2005, ESPN polled its staff about what they thought were the nation's greatest college basketball rivalries, and the Calvin–Hope rivalry was voted fourth in all college basketball.[6][7]

Championships

Calvin has won 11 NCAA Division III national championships and one club sport (ACHA Division III) national championship.[2]

YearSportAssociation
2016Women's VolleyballNCAA III
2013Women's VolleyballNCAA III
2010Women's VolleyballNCAA III
2006Men's Cross CountryNCAA III
2004Men's Cross CountryNCAA III
2004Men's Ice HockeyACHA III
2003Men's Cross CountryNCAA III
2000Men's Cross CountryNCAA III
2000Men's BasketballNCAA III
1999Women's Cross CountryNCAA III
1998Women's Cross CountryNCAA III
1992Men's BasketballNCAA III

Footnotes
  1. The NCAA considers swimming and diving to be a single sport, holding a combined championship event for the two disciplines in each of its three divisions.
  2. The NCAA considers indoor and outdoor track & field to be two separate sports. It holds indoor championships in its winter season and outdoor championships in its spring season.

References
  1. "CALVIN COLLEGE". Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. "Calvin Knights". Calvin College. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
  3. "Calvin University to Become MCVL's Tenth Member in 2024" (Press release). Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  4. "Why the Knights?". 125th Anniversary Year Celebration. Calvin College. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  5. "Athletic Facilities". calvin.edu. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  6. Behm, Jon (February 26, 2010). "The Calvin–Hope Rivalry: from obscurity to national limelight". Chimes. Calvin College Student Newspaper. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  7. Reynolds, Lauren (July 24, 2007). "No hate, just heat in Hope-Calvin rivalry". ESPN. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
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