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Football Alan Babbitt

Football Picked Second in Close MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll

The defending MIAA champions received four of eight possible first-place votes

The nationally-ranked Hope College football team is projected to contend for an MIAA title repeat this fall.

The Flying Dutchmen placed a narrow second in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, totaling 11 points and placing one behind Alma College.

Hope and Alma split the first-place vote, collecting four apiece.

The Flying Dutchmen are ranked 20th in the 2025 American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com preseason polls.

Led by head coach Peter Stuursma '93, Hope kicks off the season on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Loras College (Iowa). The Flying Dutchmen's home opener is Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. vs. Mount St. Joseph University (Ohio) at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.

Hope's MIAA title defense starts on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. vs. Alma at home.

The Flying Dutchmen return three All-MIAA selections, including All-MIAA first team and D3football All-Region Third Team cornerback Austin Harvey (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford HS). 

Two All-MIAA second-team honorees also return for Hope: H-back Seth Luhmann (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Stoney Creek) and defensive lineman Caleb Paarlberg (Caledonia, Michigan / Caledonia).

Over eight seasons, Stuursma has guided the Flying Dutchment to a 65-18 overall record (.783) and a 43-8 mark in MIAA play (.843).

In 2024, Hope claimed the MIAA championship with a 7-0 record and finished 11-1 overall. The Flying Dutchmen outscored MIAA opponents by a 299-70 margin en route to a 10-0 regular season, the first in program history. 

In the NCAA Division III playoffs, Hope defeated Aurora University (Illinois) in the second round — the program's first postseason victory — before falling to eventual national champion North Central College (Illinois) in the third round.
 
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Players Mentioned

Austin Harvey

#13 Austin Harvey

CB
6' 0"
Junior
Business
Seth Luhmann

#40 Seth Luhmann

TE/H
6' 0"
Junior
Exercise Science and Religion
Caleb Paarlberg

#11 Caleb Paarlberg

DL
6' 2"
Senior
Business

Players Mentioned

Austin Harvey

#13 Austin Harvey

6' 0"
Junior
Business
CB
Seth Luhmann

#40 Seth Luhmann

6' 0"
Junior
Exercise Science and Religion
TE/H
Caleb Paarlberg

#11 Caleb Paarlberg

6' 2"
Senior
Business
DL