Grand Canyon University (GCU) will join the Mountain West Conference (MW) by at least 2026, the school and conference announced Friday. The decision comes six months after GCU said it would join the West Coast Conference (WCC) in 2025.
Grand Canyon will compete in 17 conference-sponsored sports in the Mountain West Conference
“We want to best position ourselves to be nationally competitive, and we are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West,” GCU athletic director Jamie Boggs said in a statement.
“We are joining a conference that has enjoyed national success, has developed a rich tradition in its 26 years and has financially positioned us for competitive success in this changing collegiate landscape. And we are eager to compete for championships with our future peers in the Mountain West.”
Furthermore, GCU will compete in 17 conference-sponsored sports, the most notable being men’s basketball. The Antelopes have qualified for the past three NCAA men’s basketball tournaments.
Let’s give Grand Canyon a warm welcome to the West #LopesUp pic.twitter.com/v4J2bwJOK4
— Barstool Mountain West (@MWCBarstool) November 1, 2024
Last season, the Antelopes managed to upset a fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s team in the first round.
“Grand Canyon is a tremendous addition to the Mountain West. We are excited to expand our footprint into the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona,” MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement.
“Grand Canyon has been on an upward trajectory both academically and athletically for the past decade, and its addition to the league will enhance the competition across the Mountain West as we strive to earn NCAA postseason bids and compete for national championships.”
MW began targeting GCU for expansion after five of its members left for the Pac-12
According to ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura, the MW began pursuing GCU for expansion after five of its members — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — announced their departures for the Pac-12 earlier this year.
In response, the WCC said it views GCU’s decision as a “missed opportunity” for men’s basketball. The WCC announced in May that both GCU and Seattle would join the conference in July 2025.
“We are disappointed with its decision to seek conference membership elsewhere just months after completing its membership agreement with the WCC that would have enhanced its national profile,” WCC commissioner Stu Jackson said.
“The WCC views GCU’s decision as a missed opportunity to be part of one of the premier conferences in men’s basketball. [It’s] a perennial multibid league with a rich history that includes multiple national champions, six Final Four appearances, and countless deep runs in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
“The WCC Presidents’ Council will continue to evaluate the current landscape of Division I athletics, move forward ambitiously in examining expansion and alliance opportunities that position the WCC for NCAA success; pursue meaningful scheduling opportunities for all members; and generate national exposure for the Conference through expansive broadcast visibility to which it has become accustomed.”
As part of the announcement, GCU said it could join the MW as early as “the second quarter of 2025 if permitted under the conference’s bylaws.”
However, no date has been confirmed yet.
