On Saturday, January 17, hangouts like Zeek's Pizza in Kirkland, Washington and Ozzie's Restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri will have something in common with 62 other sites across the country. They will all be tuning in to watch the action unfold as the men's basketball teams from Hope College and Calvin College meet on the hardcourt for the 170th time.
On Saturday, January 17, hangouts like Zeek's Pizza in Kirkland, Washington and Ozzie's Restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri will have something in common with 62 other sites across the country. They will all be tuning in to watch the action unfold as the men's basketball teams from Hope College and Calvin College meet on the hardcourt for the 170th time.
The events, organized by the Alumni Associations of Hope College in Holland, MI and Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, will be celebrating the 11th Anniversary of a tradition that brings alumni, parents and friends from the two schools together each winter.
Over the years fans of this nationally recognized rivalry have had much to cheer about. Since 1920, the two teams have faced each other 169 times, with Hope leading 86-83. Amazingly, over the history of the matchup, just 91 points separate the two teams. Hope has scored 11,419 points, while Calvin has scored 11,328.
The "satellite parties", today hosted in New York, Los Angeles, and 60 other locations in between, were started in 1999 after representatives from both schools discovered a satellite broadcast of the Monon Bell Rivalry, an annual small college football matchup between DePauw University and Wabash College. The first year of the Hope vs. Calvin telecast featured rented time on a satellite that relayed the signal from WGVU in Grand Rapids, MI to just over 20 sites.
Today, with the help of digital satellite broadcasting, The Rivalry has grown to include 62 official sites. A complete listing of the parties, as well as statistics, broadcast information, and history of The Rivalry, can be found online at www.hopecalvin.com. The next meeting between the two teams is scheduled to tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. If you listen carefully, you'll be able to hear the cheers from a location near you.