Grand Canyon will join the Mountain West Conference at least in 2026, the school and conference announced Friday.
The decision comes six months after GCU announced it would join the West Coast Conference in 2025.
“We want to better position ourselves to be competitive on a national level and are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West,” GU athletic director Jamie Boggs said in a statement. “We join a conference that has enjoyed national success, developed a rich tradition in its 26 years and has positioned us financially for competitive success in this changing collegiate landscape. We look forward to competing for championships with our future peers in the Mountain West “.
GCU will compete in 17 conference-sponsored sports, most notably men's basketball. The Antelopes have qualified for the last three NCAA men's basketball tournaments, the most recent of which included a first-round upset of fifth-seeded Saint Mary's.
“The Grand Canyon is a tremendous addition to the Mountain West. We are excited to expand our presence in 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 over the past decade, and its addition to the league will enhance competition in the Mountain West as we strive to earn NCAA postseason bids and compete for national championships.”
The MW began targeting GCU for expansion after five of its members (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State) announced they were leaving for the Pac-12 earlier this year.
GCU's decision was not well received by the WCC, which announced in May that GCU, along with Seattle, would join the conference in July 2025.
“We are disappointed with their decision to seek conference membership elsewhere just months after completing their membership agreement with the WCC that would have raised their national profile,” said WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. “The WCC views GCU's decision as a missed opportunity to be part of one of men's basketball's premier conferences. The WCC is a perennial multi-bid 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 Council of Presidents will continue to evaluate the current landscape of Division I athletics; move ambitiously to examine expansion opportunities and partnerships that position WCC for NCAA success; pursue meaningful programming opportunities for all members ; and will generate national exposure for the Conference through the extensive television visibility it has become accustomed to.”
The WCC also recently lost conference power Gonzaga, which announced last month it would join the Pac-12 in 2026.
As part of the announcement, GCU said it could join the MW as early as “the second quarter of 2025 if conference bylaws permit.”
