It was a perfect fall day that welcomed Lakers to the Valley Campus for Homecoming 2026. Alumni, students, and the entire Grand Valley community came together on October 3 to reminisce, explore changes to campus and celebrate a Grand Valley victory at Lubbers Stadium.
Here are four of our favorite moments from a day of celebrating GVSU.
The Grand Valley class of 1976 reconnected at the Alumni House on the morning of October 3 for their 50 year reunion. President Emeritus Arend “Don” Lubbers, who was Grand Valley president at the time of the class’s graduation, was in attendance and gave remarks.
“The year of your graduation was the highest enrollment in the 1970s,” said Lubbers: 7,540 students.
“I remember feeling excitement in the '70s. It was my first decade of three as a college president. We were experimenting with a cluster college concept,” said Lubbers.
“As we defined the vision of Grand Valley, we saw the necessity to educate for specific professions in the community,” he added, speaking about the colleges of business, nursing and engineering that launched in the 1970s and 1980s.
Following Lubbers’ remarks, director of Alumni Relations Mike Przydzial, ‘12, asked the class of ‘76 what Grand Valley means to them. The answers varied: It's that Grand Valley was key to growing up and experiencing the world for the first time. It’s Grand Valley Singers and the Laker Shakers (an early iteration of the Laker Dance Team). It’s the launching pad for successful careers in music and special education and it’s professors who taught and connected with their students every day.
For Deborah Clanton, ‘76, Grand Valley means legacy.
Clanton and her college roommate, Robbie Mondine, ’76, were charter members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority: the first Greek life on campus. A retired Grand Rapids magistrate, Clanton received a Distinguished Alumni award in 2008, and is still involved with the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, even stopping by the sorority’s tailgate before the reunion. “They treat us like royalty,” she said.
Once a year, Laker Marching Band alumni rejoin the band for Homecoming. Along with current band members, alumni marched through campus, participated in stand tunes and played a few songs during the halftime performance.
Ben Robar, ‘22 has participated in the alumni band every year since graduating. Robar plays the trombone and is currently working on a Master of Public Administration from Grand Valley.
“This is a good chance to see all of my friends that moved across the state or out of state,” said Robar, who made many of his college friends through the band. “They'll come back for this. It's a really good opportunity to catch up with people be in the student section at a football game,” he said.
The Laker Marching Band performed a medley of songs in celebration of America’s 250th birthday, and the alumni joined for the final two songs.
The alumni marching band will be celebrating its 50th year in 2027. The goal, said Robar, is for 500 alumni to return for the Homecoming game.
The Lakers took home their seventh win in a row this season against the Wayne State Warriors. Starting the Homecoming game strong, the Lakers scored three touchdowns in the first quarter alone.
Wide receiver Kellen Reed was named player of the game, with eight receptions, 177 yards and five touchdowns.
The final score was 69-3.
Grand Valley’s 2026 Homecoming Royal was crowned in Lubbers Stadium during halftime of the football game. Out of the 10 members of the 2026 Homecoming Court, A’Layja Robinson was crowned the GVSU 2026 Homecoming Royal.
Robinson is a junior majoring in nursing. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., You Beautiful Black Women and is vice president of the Multicultural Student Nurses Association.
“This means a lot to me,” said Robinson, after being named royal. “I’m a first generation college student, so I’m doing everything for the first time. I’m actually super surprised, but it’s the best thing in the world. I’m so glad I can represent myself, my sorority and my community.”
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