The 1980 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1980 NCAA Division II football season . In their eighth year under head coach Jim Harkema , the Lakers compiled a 7–3 record (4–2 in conference games), finished in second place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 290 to 166.[ 1]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 6 at Hope * Holland, MI W 14–76,308 [ 2] September 13 at Northern Michigan * Marquette, MI L 9–485,767
September 20 Northeastern Illinois * W 76–02,651
September 27 at Michigan Tech Houghton, MI W 44–62,800 [ 3] October 4 Wayne State (MI) Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 7–103,846
October 11 Saginaw Valley State Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 45–222,357
October 18 Northwestern (IA) * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 34–262,391
October 25 at Hillsdale Hillsdale, MI L 9–272,196
November 1 Northwood Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 17–132,263
November 8 at Ferris State Big Rapids, MI W 35–74,200
[ 4]
The 1981 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1980 NCAA Division II football season . In their ninth year under head coach Jim Harkema , the Lakers compiled a 7–2 record (6–0 in conference games), won the GLIAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 309 to 131.[ 1]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 12 at Northern Iowa * L 20–2112,083 [ 5] September 26 No. 2 Northern Michigan * L 28–291,500 [ 6] October 3 Michigan Tech Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 52–62,832
October 10 at Wayne State (MI) Detroit, MI W 40–173,007
October 17 at Saginaw Valley State University Center, MI W 31–71,500
October 24 Central State (OH) * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 31–201,060
October 31 Hillsdale Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 23–122,624
November 7 at Northwood Midland, MI W 38–71,900
November 14 Ferris State Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 46–123,200
[ 7]
The 1982 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1982 NCAA Division II football season . In their tenth and final year under head coach Jim Harkema , the Lakers compiled a 7–3 record (5–1 in conference games), finished in second place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 310 to 213.[ 1]
Harkema left GVSU after the 1982 season to become head coach at Eastern Michigan. In ten years at GVSU, he had compiled a 68-29-1 record with three GLIAC championships.[ 8]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 4 at Western Michigan * L 3–2815,881–15,991 [ 9] September 18 St. Cloud State * W 44–71,619
September 25 Central State (OH) * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 35–122,728
October 2 Wayne State (MI) Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 32–143,294
October 9 at Ferris State W 38–359,500
October 16 at Northern Michigan * Marquette, MI L 29–474,097
October 23 at Hillsdale Hillsdale, MI L 19–248,301
October 30 at Michigan Tech W 35–28589
November 6 Northwood Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 20–102,231
November 13 Saginaw Valley State Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 55–71,356
[ 10]
The 1983 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1983 NCAA Division II football season . In their first year under head coach Bob Giesey , the Lakers compiled a 4–6 record (3–3 in conference games), tied for fourth place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 238 to 227.[ 1]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 10 Saint Joseph's (IN) * W 24–223,413
September 17 at Eastern Illinois * L 21–356,400 [ 11] September 24 at Central State (OH) * L 14–213,183–4,500 [ 12] [ 13] October 1 at Wayne State (MI) Detroit, MI L 10–223,740
October 8 Ferris State W 52–214,327
October 15 Northern Michigan * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 14–273,648
October 22 Hillsdale Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 12–103,129
October 29 Michigan Tech Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 36–343,177
November 5 at Northwood Midland, MI L 30–311,800
November 12 at Saginaw Valley State University Center, MI L 14–152,800
[ 14]
The 1984 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1984 NCAA Division II football season . In their second and final year under head coach Bob Giesey , the Lakers compiled a 0–10 record (0–6 in conference games), finished in last place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 301 to 99.[ 1]
Date Time Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 1 Eastern Illinois * L 9–351,821 [ 15] September 8 7:30 p.m. at Carson–Newman * Morristown, TN L 9–422,800–3,800 [ 16] [ 17] September 15 Northwest Missouri State * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 0–263,482
September 22 at Northern Michigan * Marquette, MI L 13–595,324
September 29 Saginaw Valley State L 14–283,609
October 6 at Hillsdale Hillsdale, MI L 6–206,000
October 20 at Michigan Tech Houghton, MI L 20–27599
October 27 at Ferris State Big Rapids, MI L 11–131,610
November 3 Northwood Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 14–211,529
November 10 Wayne State (MI) Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 3–302,471
[ 18]
The 1985 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1985 NCAA Division II football season . In their first year under head coach Tom Beck , the Lakers compiled a 6–5 record (4–2 in conference games), tied for third place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 237 to 213.[ 19]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 7 at Wisconsin–Stout * Menomonie, WI L 7–232,126
September 14 Northern Michigan * L 7–423,840
September 21 at Evansville * Evansville, IN W 28–142,900
September 28 Wayne State (MI) Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 10–73,832
October 5 at Ferris State Big Rapids, MI W 27–218,700
October 12 at Central Connecticut State * New Britain, CT W 21–141,839
October 19 Hillsdale Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 14–213,550
October 26 at Michigan Tech Houghton, MI W 42–22470
November 2 Northwood Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 24–212,181
November 9 at Saginaw Valley State University Center, MI L 18–351,000
November 16 Missouri–Rolla * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 15–173,337
[ 20]
The 1986 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division II football season . In their second year under head coach Tom Beck , the Lakers compiled a 9–2 record (4–1 in conference games), finished in second place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 325 to 171.[ 19]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 6 Wisconsin–Stout * W 35–02,841
September 13 at Butler * Indianapolis, IN W 30–287,477
September 20 Evansville * No. 7 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 49–72,537
September 27 at Wayne State (MI) No. T–7 Detroit, MI W 21–31,230
October 4 Ferris State No. 8 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 30–223,433
October 11 Central Connecticut State * No. 8 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 21–113,113
October 18 at Hillsdale No. 8 Hillsdale, MI L 22–257,000
October 25 at Northern Michigan * No. 11 Marquette, MI L 24–282,430
November 1 at Northwood Midland, MI W 35–14600
November 8 Saginaw Valley State Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 28–132,839
November 15 at Missouri–Rolla * No. 20 Rolla, MO W 30–20800
[ 21]
The 1987 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1987 NCAA Division II football season . In their third year under head coach Tom Beck , the Lakers compiled a 7–4 record (4–1 in conference games), finished in second place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 276 to 234.[ 19]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 5 at Northeast Missouri State * No. 8 Kirksville, MO L 23–303,800
September 12 Butler * W 24–193,342
September 19 Winona State * No. 17 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 50–162,959
September 26 at Central State (OH) * No. 14 L 23–254,500 [ 22] October 3 Wayne State (MI) Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 28–03,927
October 10 at Ferris State Big Rapids, MI W 21–55,700
October 17 No. 2 Northern Michigan No. 18 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI L 0–282,743
October 24 Hillsdale Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 28–132,937
October 31 at No. 11 UCF * L 3–677,552
November 7 Northwood * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 45–32,627
November 14 at Saginaw Valley State University Center, MI W 31–282,100
[ 23]
The 1988 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1988 NCAA Division II football season . In their fourth year under head coach Tom Beck , the Lakers compiled a 7–4 record (3–2 in conference games), finished in third place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 276 to 234.[ 19]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 3 Northeast Missouri State * L 35–362,448
September 10 at No. 12 Western Illinois * Macomb, IL L 0–5511,123 [ 24] September 17 at Winona State * Winona, MN W 45–262,100
September 24 St. Francis (IL) * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 35–214,165
October 1 at Wayne State (MI) Detroit, MI W 13–101,307
October 8 Ferris State Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 36–204,569
October 15 at Northern Michigan Marquette, MI L 20–302,508
October 22 at Hillsdale Hillsdale, MI L 0–202,200
October 29 Southeast Missouri State * Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 46–242,481
November 5 at Northwood * Midland, MI W 34–2280
November 12 Saginaw Valley State Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 14–131,806
[ 25]
The 1989 Grand Valley State Lakers football team represented Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 1989 NCAA Division II football season . In their fifth year under head coach Tom Beck , the Lakers compiled an 11–1 record (5–0 in conference games), won the GLIAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 514 to 182. The team lost to IUP in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.[ 19] [ 26]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 2 at California (PA) * No. 16 California, PA W 41–74,887
September 9 Mankato State * No. 16 W 45–162,706
September 16 at Butler * No. 10 Indianapolis, IN W 27–181,245
September 23 at St. Francis (IL) * No. 7 Joliet, IL W 56–322,500
September 30 Wayne State (MI) No. 5 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 49–104,048–4,848 [ 27] October 7 at Ferris State No. 5 Big Rapids, MI W 28–07,800 [ 28] October 14 Northern Michigan No. 4 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 38–142,956 [ 29] October 21 Hillsdale No. 4 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 31–174,138 [ 30] October 28 Valparaiso * No. 3 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 91–02,483 [ 26] November 4 Northwood * No. 3 Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI W 42–172,048 [ 31] November 11 at Saginaw Valley State No. 3 W 42–172,000 [ 32] November 18 No. 9 IUP * No. 3 L 24–341,837 [ 33]
[ 34]
1 2 3 4 5 "Grand Valley State Yearly Results (1980-1984)" . College Football Data Warehouse . Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2025 .↑ Bill McGraw (September 7, 1980). "Grand Valley snuffs out Hope in last seconds" . Detroit Free Press . p. 5C – via Newspapers.com . ↑ "GVSC 44, Tech 6" . The Grand Rapids Press . September 28, 1980. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Final 1980 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ "UNI rallies for 21–20 win" . The Gazette . September 13, 1981. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "NMU rally beats Grand Valley" . Green Bay Press-Gazette . September 27, 1981. p. C7 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ Steve Kornacki (December 1, 1982). "Harkema skilled in three sports" . The Ann Arbor News . p. C8 – via Newspapers.com =. ↑ "Harbaugh gets first win as Broncos' reins" . The Muskegon Chronicle . September 5, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Final 1982 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ "Eastern Illinois beats Grand Valley" . The Grand Rapids Press . September 18, 1983. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Marauders' Cook reforms mold for football heroes" . Dayton Daily News . September 25, 1983. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Central State (OH))" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 7, 2023 .↑ "Final 1983 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ "Speeedy EIU receivers burn Lakers" . The Grand Rapids Press . September 2, 1984. Retrieved November 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Season Begins For Area Colleges" . Johnson City Press . Johnson City, Tennessee . September 8, 1984. p. 17. Retrieved June 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com ↑ Strange, Mike (September 8, 1984). "Eagles Rolls In Opener" . Knoxville News Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee . pp. D1–D2 . Retrieved June 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com ↑ "Final 1984 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .1 2 3 4 5 "Grand Valley State Yearly Results (1985-1989)" . College Football Data Warehouse . Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2025 .↑ "Final 1985 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ "Final 1986 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ "Central St. 25, Grand Valley St. 23" . Battle Creek Enquirer . September 27, 1987. Retrieved April 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Final 1987 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .↑ "Western Ill. 55, Grand Valley 0" . The Dispatch-Argus UPI . September 11, 1988. p. E2. Retrieved November 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Final 1988 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .1 2 "Crusaders suffer school's worst loss -- 91-0" . The Vidette-Messenger . October 30, 1989. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com .↑ Joe Conklin (October 1, 1989). "Grand Valley offense sharp in 49-10 win" . The Grand Rapids Press . p. H7 – via Newspapers.com . ↑ Cindy Fairfield (October 8, 1989). "Grand Valley shuts out Ferris" . The Muskegon Chronicle . p. 6C – via Newspapers.com . ↑ Joe Conklin (October 15, 1989). "Grand Valley earns rare win over NMU; takes league lead" . The Grand Rapids Press . p. H6 – via Newspapers.com . ↑ Joe Conklin (October 22, 1989). "GVSU's pot of gold is a GLIAC crown" . The Grand Rapids Press . pp. H1, H6 – via Newspapers.com . ↑ Joe Conklin (November 5, 1989). "Unbeaten Grand Valley rallies to top Northwood for 10th win" . The Grand Rapids Press . p. H6 – via Newspapers.com . ↑ Jim Buckley (November 12, 1989). "SVSU no match for playoff-bound Lakers" . The Saginaw News . p. E3 – via Newspapers.com . ↑ Gretchen Flemming (November 19, 1989). "Grand Valley left out in the cold: IUP's fourth-quarter flurry ousts Lakers from Div. II playoffs" . The Grand Rapids Press . p. H1 – via Newspapers.com . ↑ "Final 1989 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 20, 2025 .
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