Football, women's soccer open seasons Thursday

The two-time defending Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion GVSU Lakers open their 2024 season on September 5 at Lubbers Stadium, taking on Central State. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Lakers, who are ranked at No. 4 on the American Football Coaches Association’s preseason poll, return 22 starters from the 2023 team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs. 

Scott Wooster, named the 2023 GLIAC Coach of the Year following his first year as head coach, said he and the team are ready to expand upon their success. Wooster led the Lakers to a 11-2 record a year ago, including a pair of big wins over rival Ferris State. 

Grand Valley’s run for its first national championship since 2006 came to an end in the NCAA quarterfinals, losing to eventual national champion Harding, 7-6. 

“There’s that element of growth for year two, and how much better can we be,” Wooster said at the GLIAC Media Day. “There’s a huge growth mindset with every football player on this team, and it begins with me. We are excited about year two.” 

Media selected the Lakers to finish second in this season’s GLIAC race, behind Ferris State.

Fans can watch the game online at FloFootball or locally, over-the-air on WXSP-TV (Channel 15). The game will also be broadcast on the radio at WLAV-FM 96.9 ( wlav.com ), WJRW-FM 106.1/WJRW-AM 1340 and WLCS-FM 98.3.

A Spanish-language broadcast of the game is also available on La Poderosa 93.3 FM and 810 AM in Grand Rapids and 103.1 FM and 1080 AM in the Midland and Lansing areas. 

For full coverage of GVSU Football, including broadcast info, news, features, highlights, press conferences and more, follow @GVSUFootball on social media and at GVSUlakers.com .

Gameday parking

To accommodate the anticipated surge of football fans and traffic for the Lakers’ September 5 game against Central State, and to minimize disruption for students, faculty and staff on the Allendale Campus for evening classes, GVSU Parking Services has released an updated parking management plan for gameday. 

Students, faculty, staff and fans who anticipate being on the Allendale Campus the afternoon and evening of September 5 are encouraged to utilize lots on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus or at the Standale Meijer (315 Wilson Avenue NW, Grand Rapids) and access campus via the Laker Line Bus System. The Rapid Park and Ride, located at the corner of Lake Michigan Drive and Cummings Avenue (4211 Lake Michigan Dr., Grand Rapids), is also available. 

If you do plan on being on the Allendale Campus for the evening, consider carpooling. Parking lots are expected to fill quickly, due to the increased traffic, so please plan accordingly.

For gameday, be advised: 

• Lot B1 will close at noon. Lot B2 will be closed all day.
• Lot C1 will close at noon. Lot C2 will be closed all day.
• Lots D1 and D2 will be available all day.
• Lot D8 will be available for faculty, staff and student commuters on this date only.
• Lot F will close at noon.
• Fans with football parking passes may access Lots C, F, and G, beginning at 4 p.m.
• Lot G will be available until 4:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m., Lot G will be converted to a $15.00 paid parking area for fans without a pre-purchased football parking pass.
• Lots H, K1 and J will be available for faculty, staff and student commuters all day. 
• Parking will also be available at the Meadows Golf Course Practice Academy. GVSU’s Rapid shuttle service will make stops at Lot J, the Practice Academy and Kirkhof Center. 
• The Marketplace lot, Lot MP, will be open and “pay-to-park” for the day.

Fans can purchase a parking pass for the September 5 game by visiting the Athletics Department’s tickets website . Passes are available for $10 prior to gameday and $15 on gameday.

Women's soccer

The seven-time national champion Lakers also open their season September 5, facing a familiar foe.

The Lakers and Ashland meet at 3 p.m. at the GVSU Soccer Field. The teams last met in the NCAA regionals when the Lakers knocked off the top-seeded Eagles, 1-0, to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals. 

The Lakers return several key players for the 2024 season, including All-GLIAC selections forward Taylor Reid, defender Daan Louwerse, midfielder Emma Chudik, defender Kacy Lauer and defender Stephanie Sturgeon. 

Forward Kennedy Bearden returns too after missing the 2023 season due to an injury and was a key part of the Lakers' 2019 and 2021 national championship teams. In the 2022 season, she was named first team All-Region and All-GLIAC.

Head coach Katie Hultin begins her third season leading the Lakers, leading the squad to a 30-6-11 record in two seasons. 

“We have some exciting new student athletes on the team and a great group of returners,” Hultin said. “We have had the opportunity to spend the last month together as we traveled to England together to train and compete. It was an incredible experience, and we got a ton out of it.” 

In the GLIAC’s media preseason poll, Grand Valley is picked to finish second behind defending conference champion Northern Michigan. 

Lubbers Stadium's new look

Lakers fans will see several renovations and upgrades to  Lubbers Stadium this fall. 

Additional restroom and concession areas, elevator and sidewalk access to the press box, president’s box and upper seating sections will augment the fan experience. 

Crews also replaced the stadium’s synthetic grass field this summer in time for the 2024 season. AstroTurf said its new RootZone 3D3 field is designed to provide a durable playing surface while enhancing player performance and safety.

Zero waste gamedays

Since 2013, an initiative among the Office of Sustainability Practices, Facilities Services, Athletics, the Office of Student Life and Campus Dining has worked to reduce landfill-bound trash at Lubbers Stadium.

The effort is part of the National Wildlife Federation’s GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge, a national competition among universities to reduce and recycle waste during home football games. 

GVSU was honored by the National Wildlife Federation during the 2023 challenge as the top school in the Waste Minimization Per Capita category, the only Division II school recognized last season. 

Grand Valley will continue to pursue its sustainability goals for home games this year with the goal of reaching zero waste. The Office of Sustainability Practice is also looking for registered student organizations, clubs or teams to volunteer in collecting trash and recyclables at Lakers’ home games this season. 

For more information or to volunteer your registered student organization, club or team, visit the Office of Sustainability Practices website.