Offensive guard Ron Stallard became the second individual Laker honored as he was awarded NAIA AAHM status at the end of the season.

Winning this game allowed Grand Valley to sign many top All-State players which started the program's push to national attention.

Gonzalez was followed by quarterbacks David Quinley, Steve Michuta and Jeff Lynch, who gave GVSU the most feared passing attack in the Grand Lakes Conference.

They had been blessed with talented receivers like Clint Nash, Rick Cunningham, Michael Woods, Rob Rubick, Jeff Chadwick and Bill Luckstead as the Lakers averaged seven wins a year from 1977 to 1982.

In 1978, with Quinley at the controls, the Lakers suffered early losses to Northern Michigan and Bowling Green State, but bounced back to win eight straight games including a repeat of the GLIAC title and an NAIA Playoff victory over University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.

The team celebrated two NAIA All-Americans in Bob Beaudrie-C and Joe Pollard-DB and four AAHM, Wade Bent-LB, Ron Essink-OT, Roger McCoy-PK and Rick VanEss-FB.

Two players that stood out and won individual national honors: All-American Ron Essink-OT (NCAA DII/NAIA/Kodak) who went on to have an outstanding career in the NFL as a starting tackle with the Seattle Seahawks, and NAIA AAHM Mark Szczytko-DT.

Athletic Director Dr. George MacDonald hired Tom Beck away from his assistant coaching job with Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League.

The next five years would see explosive offenses, outstanding players and solid coaching which would result in trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs, as well as the Lakers becoming a fixture in preseason and postseason rankings.

Freshman kicker Miguel Sagaro from Spain set a Division II record when he connected on 65 of 66 extra points for the season and sophomore fullback Eric Lynch scored 21 touchdowns.

Grand Valley finished third in the final 1989 Division II poll and earned the first of three consecutive playoff berths, losing to Indiana, PA, 34–24 on a frigid November afternoon highlighted by 11 inches of snow on the ground.

[6] In 1990, Grand Valley, along with GLIAC members Ferris State, Hillsdale, Northern Michigan, Saginaw Valley and Wayne State, joined forces with the schools from the Heartland Conference which included Ashland University, Butler, University of Indianapolis, St Joseph's College and Valparaiso to form the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC).

Fox became Grand Valley State's first-ever Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist (Division II Heisman) as he rewrote the GVSU single-season and career offensive record books.

In 2001, the dividends of valuable experience in the young players showed as the Lakers not only won their first ever Division II playoff game, but advanced to the 2001 National Championship.

Grand Valley State again jumped out to an early lead and never looked back with an impressive 44–7 victory over Northern Colorado (also in its last year of Division II competition).

Curt Anes, who won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the D-II Player of the Year less than 24 hours earlier, utilized his All-American receiver David Kircus to drive the Lakers 68 yards in 2:05 for a touchdown to give GVSU the 2002 NCAA DII National Championship.

Scott Mackey, GV's All-American DB picked off a pass late in the second quarter to score the game's only touchdown and give GVSU a 10–3 win.

Senior linebacker Mike Hoad picked off a pass on the Laker 10-yard line to preserve the win and give GVSU back-to-back NCAA DII National Championships.

[19] The 2003 GVSU senior class etched their names in the record books by becoming just the second team (the other being the University of North Alabama) in NCAA Division II history to make three consecutive trips to title game.

Coach Chuck Martin proceeded to lead the Lakers to their second undefeated season in history, going 13–0 and defeating Northwest Missouri State University in the NCAA Division II Football Championship title game.

In the national title match, the Lakers again faced undefeated and second-ranked Division II rivals Northwest Missouri State, which finished the season with a (14–1) record.

[citation needed] Finnerty was awarded second place for the Harlon Hill Trophy, just prior to the national championship match in Florence, Alabama.

[39] Cullen Finnerty finished his Laker career with a record of 51–4 as the team's starting QB, making him the winningest quarterback in college football history, regardless of NCAA Division.

[30] December 8: GVSU's 40 game win streak – an all-time Division II record[40] – was snapped when they lost at Northwest Missouri State in the Division II National Semifinal game at Bearcat Stadium that was known as the "Ice Bowl" because it was played during the Mid-December 2007 North American Winter storms that would destroy more than 100 trees at Northwest's Missouri Arboretum campus.

After NWMSU kicker Tommy Frevert made one from 22 yards early in the fourth quarter and Xavier Omon scored on an 11-yard pass 2½ minutes later, the Bearcats were up 27–16.

In their week 3 matchup against Saginaw Valley, Lakers fans set an all-time GLIAC and Lubbers Stadium attendance record, with a crowd of 16,467.

On the ground the load was shared between Hersey Jackson, Mike Ratay, Norman Shuford and Chris Robinson, each having at least one game where they led the team in rushing.

GVSU would face a familiar foe in Saginaw Valley in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs, besting the Cardinals 40–7 in Allendale once again.

[48] GV then continued their playoff road trip drive by facing the #4 seed and defending Division II National Champion Thunderwolves of CSU Pueblo.

Scott Wooster was promoted to Head Coach after Matt Mitchell joined recently hired Luke Fickell at Wisconsin during the offseason.