Outstanding Sports Program

Induction Year: 2015

Grand Valley State athletics emerged as the most successful NCAA Division II program in the country between the year 2000 and the induction in 2015. A dominant force at the conference, regional and national level the Lakers produced at unprecedented levels winning 45 individual National Championships, 18 team National Championships, 65 NCAA regional crowns and 161 conference championships.

In addition, the Lakers were awarded the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, known as the national all-sports trophy, 10 times and finished runner-up four times between 2000 and 2014, and earned the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference President's Cup all-sports trophy 17 consecutive times between 1997 and 2014.

The success on the playing field was also duplicated in the classroom with GVSU ranking sixth in CoSIDA Academic All-Americans between 2000 and 2017 with 49.

The program has continued with similar if not even more success since 2015.