Calvin–Hope men's basketball rivalry
The Calvin–Hope men's basketball rivalry is a college sports rivalry between the men's basketball teams of Hope College Flying Dutchmen of Holland, Michigan, and the Calvin University Knights of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which participate at the NCAA Division III level. History. The men's basketball teams first played each other in 1920. Through January 2019, the men's basketball teams have played 200 times, with the Hope Flying Dutchmen leading with 103 wins to the Calvin Knights' 97 wins. The rivalry, which originates from the historical separation of the Reformed Church  in America and the Christian Reformed Church in North America, operates on a basis of more similarity than difference. Tom Davelaar, assistant coach to Hope's basketball team, once said, "... both schools and fan bases are so alike - and yet we think we're different somehow. We're really just two peas in a pod." The next face off in 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary since the rivalry started. In 2009, the rivalry turned ugly - the two teams faced off against each other in the MIAA championship when a Hope student was instigating fans in the upper concourse late  in the 2nd half at VanNoord Arena celebrating what would become a Hope victory, when the Hope student kicked a Calvin students legs and a scuffle occurred. In 2015, it again turned ugly as Calvin students stormed the court in a nail-biter victory and Hope players laid in the middle of the floor and refused to move, nearly getting trampled by the court storming. This caused an incident between the coaches of the two schools as they became elevated, with Coach Mitchell of Hope eventually admitting defeat. Significance. In 2005, ESPN polled its staff about who they thought were  America's greatest college basketball rivalries, and the Calvin–Hope rivalry was voted fourth in all college basketball behind Carolina–Duke rivalry, Connecticut–Tennessee women's basketball rivalry, and Kentucky–Louisville rivalry. ESPN also conducted an on-line "fan poll" in which 80% of voters picked the Knights vs. Flying Dutchmen. The rivalry between the two colleges is most prominent in basketball; however, the rivalry spans the schools' athletics.