The Hope College football team will kick off the 2026 season among the nation's elite.

The Flying Dutch are ranked d 19th in the D3football.com Top 25, the highest among four MIAA teams that received votes in the preseason poll.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors, and media members from across the country and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis. Hope totaled 173 points.

Led by Head Coach Peter Stuursma, the Flying Dutchmen open the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m. at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Hope's home opener is Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m. against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. The game is part of the annual Orange and Blue Weekend on campus. Information on season and single-game tickets will be announced later this summer.

In 2025, the Flying Dutchmen ended with a 9-2 record, competed in the NCAA Division III Championships in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history, and finished nationally-ranked.

North Central College (Illinois), the 2025 national runner-up, topped the D3football.com Top 25.