The Mountain West is at it again, as the surviving members of the league are set to add Grand Canyon no later than July 1, 2026, “but possibly as early as the second quarter of 2025 if permitted under the conference’s bylaws,” according to a release from GCU.
Since the Pac-12 raided its neighbor conference and took Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Utah State, the MWC has been rebuilding, adding UTEP and Hawaii (football-only before) as full-time members in recent weeks.
Now at eight full-time members — come July 1, 2026 — the Mountain West is adding the Antelopes as a non-football member.
“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.”
Grand Canyon University, located in Phoenix, Arizona, has over 100,000 students enrolled — 25,000+ of which are on-campus.  With roughly 16,600 students living in its 32 on-campus residence halls, GCU is also the largest residential campus among private universities in the country.Â
Last season, the Antelopes made the NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed and upset fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before bowing out to Alabama in the second round.
Of the 21 sports offered at GCU, 17 of them will compete in the Mountain West, excluding beach volleyball, men’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, and men’s volleyball.
