The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team heads to the top seed No. 2 ranked Grand Valley State University in Super Region Four this weekend for the second round of NCAA playoffs. Nestled in Allendale, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids, GVSU was founded in 1960. The university enrolls a total of just under 25,000; Allendale’s population is over 20,000. GVSU has earned first or second in the Director’s Cup standings for being the best NCAA Division II athletic program in the nation for 15 straight years. The Lakers became the winningest program in college football history by percentage. The 35-23 victory against Ferris State raised Grand Valley State's all-time winning percentage to .7321 (377-137-3), a tick ahead of Michigan's .7311 (931-331-36) and Notre Dame's .7308 (894-316-42). Since inception, GVSU's overall winning percentage of .729492 (371–137–3) ranks the program as the fourth highest among teams from all NCAA divisions, ahead of Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Texas.
A&M-Commerce is 2-0 all-time against Grand Valley State, with wins in the first round of the playoffs in 1990 and 1991. The 1990 game was played in Allendale, with the 1991 contest in Commerce. GVSU is well-known for their winning tradition, but the Lions are distinct within for their unblemished mark against the Lakers. Only six schools have played Grand Valley more than once and have not lost. Only two of those schools are still in Division II.
Before they left the Lions ate Thanksgiving meal together Thursday afternoon then chartered a flight over a thousand miles to Muskegon, MI. Muskegon sits right along Lake Michigan and is 30 minutes from the campus. On Friday A&M-Commerce practiced at nearby Davenport University, a private NAIA university located in Grand Rapids, MI. After lunch the team had a walk through at Grand Valley State University's Lubbers Stadium. The evening concluded with team meetings and a powerful speech from A&M-Commerce Alumni James Thrower at team dinner.
Follow our diary on Facebook and Twitter: @KETRSports