COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference today announced that Grand Canyon University will join the league as the ninth member beginning July 1, 2026.
“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,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “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.”
Starting no later than the 2026-2027 academic year, the Mountain West will feature the United States Air Force Academy, Grand Canyon University, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Nevada, Reno, University of New Mexico, San José State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of Texas, El Paso and the University of Wyoming. Grand Canyon’s addition to the Mountain West expands the Conference footprint into the state of Arizona for the first time.
Grand Canyon will compete in 17 conference-sponsored sports in the Mountain West. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field, soccer, softball, swim and dive, tennis, and volleyball. Men's sports include basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field, and tennis.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the Mountain West Conference’s interest in GCU and their recognition of the value we bring to its membership,” GCU President Brian Mueller said. “Lope Nation has grown first and foremost because of the innovative strategies and creative delivery models that enable us to provide cutting-edge academic programs both on our campus and across the country. That has created a tremendous amount of momentum that benefits our athletic programs.”
First established in 1949, Grand Canyon University has grown exponentially within the Phoenix market and is a nationally recognized institution. A member of the Western Athletic Conference for the past 11 years, GCU has captured 70 conference championships and won the WAC Commissioner’s Cup each of the last five fully completed academic years. In the past calendar year alone, the Lopes have won NCAA baseball, softball, and men's basketball tournament games.
“GCU continues to rapidly grow as an institution and as an athletics program,” GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. “We want to best position ourselves to be nationally competitive, and we are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West. 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. We are eager to compete for championships with our future peers in the Mountain West.”
With nearly 25,000 students on its 300-acre Phoenix campus and another 95,000 studying online, GCU's ascension as an academic institution is exemplified by the nearly 30,000 graduates it has produced each of the past four years. Since 2008, the university has tripled the number of academic programs, emphases, and certificates to nearly 350 and expanded the number of colleges from four to 10 by focusing its curriculum on high-growth job fields such as engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, and business while also making significant investments to address nationwide workforce shortages in areas such as teaching, nursing, and counseling.
GCU's enrollment growth has occurred while also raising admissions standards, with incoming GPAs of approximately 3.6 each of the past six years. In addition, GCU's Honors College has grown to 3,000 students with average incoming GPAs of 4.1.
*Mountain West Conference Press Release
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