Grand Canyon University Joins Mountain West for 2025 - Ahead of Schedule
- Jeff Bugher
- Jul 10
- 4 min read

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference today announced that Grand Canyon University will join the league immediately for the 2025-26 academic year. GCU was scheduled to join the MW on July 1, 2026. In the spirit of partnership, the Mountain West extended a unique opportunity to GCU and its student-athletes, allowing them to compete for conference championships and NCAA postseason eligibility immediately. How fitting that a university whose mascot is "Thunder the Antelope" would join the Mountain West Conference.
“The addition of Grand Canyon for the 2025-26 academic year is a significant win for the student-athletes at GCU and in the Mountain West,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “Grand Canyon brings elite recruiting, a passionate fanbase, and state-of-the-art facilities, elevating the Mountain West’s competitiveness and national profile. In a time when the student-athlete experience is of utmost importance, we felt it was in the best interest to allow them to compete for conference championships and the NCAA postseason immediately. GCU is a great addition to the Mountain West and positively raises the competition level in the league.”
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, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball. Men's sports include basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field, and tennis.
Grand Canyon recently concluded a historic year in the Western Athletic Conference, securing its fifth consecutive WAC Commissioner's Cup. The men’s and women’s basketball teams combined to go 58-11 (.841), win conference tournament championships, and appear in the NCAA Tournament. The men’s basketball program has appeared in four of the last five tournaments and advanced to the second round in 2024 with a win over Saint Mary’s.
Overall, Lopes' teams won seven conference championships in 2024-25, including two programs that swept both the regular-season and tournament championships (softball and women's basketball).
GCU softball debuted in the top 25, made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season, and won a tournament game for the third straight year.
In addition to those titles, GCU teams also brought home tournament championships in women's tennis and men's indoor track and field. The men's golf team earned an at-large selection into the NCAA Regionals.
The Mountain West will feature 14 universities in 2025-26 with the United States Air Force Academy, Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, Grand Canyon University, University of Nevada, Reno, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, San José State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Utah State University and the University of Wyoming. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will compete in football only, and Colorado College in women’s soccer.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the Mountain West Conference’s support of our student-athletes, our university and our fans for the opportunity to compete this fall,” 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 and is the largest private Division I university in the nation. Residing in the heart of Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the U.S., GCU has gone from nearly closing its doors 20 years ago to having an enrollment this fall of over 25,000 on its campus and over 100,000 students studying online. With over 17,000 students living in its 32 on-campus residence halls, GCU is also the largest residential campus among private universities in the country and is ranked No. 21 for best college campuses in America by Niche.com. The enrollment growth reflects significant expansion in academic offerings, growing from four to 10 distinct colleges and from 100 academic programs, emphases and certificates to over 350.
“GCU is excited for this opportunity for our student-athletes, the Havocs and our fanbase,” GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. “After winning 76 conference championships, this opportunity best positions GCU 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 and has developed a rich tradition in its 26 years. We want to thank Commissioner Nevarez and the member institutions, and we are eager to compete for championships with our new peers in the Mountain West.”
About Grand Canyon University (GCU): located in Phoenix, Arizona, is a private for-profit Christian institution that was originally founded as Grand Canyon College in 1949. With the motto "Find Your Purpose," GCU serves more than 100,000 students, including nearly 67,000 undergraduates and over 35,000 postgraduates. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the university maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of 20 to 1, supported by 550 full-time and over 5,800 adjunct faculty members. GCU sits on a 300-acre urban campus and promotes a non-denominational Christian environment under the leadership of President Brian Mueller and Provost Randy Gibb. Known for its vibrant purple, black, and white school colors, GCU competes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Mountain West Conference and the MPSF, with its teams proudly represented by their mascot, Thunder the Antelope. The university’s official student news outlet is GCU Today.
The MWC contributed to this report.
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