Grand Canyon University to join Mountain West Conference; will be ninth member

LARAMIE, Wyo. — After a few weeks of silence from the Mountain West and the greater NCAA world as a whole regarding conference realignment, it was announced today that Grand Canyon University will join the MW as its ninth full-time member.

The last school to make the jump to the conference, UTEP, did so exactly a month ago on Oct. 1. With that addition, as well as with Hawai’i graduating to full-time member status, the conference officially re-met NCAA eligibility requirements. However, as the recent poaching from the Pac-12 demonstrated, eligibility does not equal invulnerability.

And so GCU joins the MW as a participating member in 17 collegiate sports: men’s and women’s basketball; men’s and women’s cross country; men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field; women’s soccer; women’s softball, women’s swimming and diving; men’s and women’s tennis; women’s volleyball; men’s baseball; and men’s golf.

This will be the first time in the conference’s history that it will have any representation in the state of Arizona, despite its proximity to nearby states like New Mexico and Nevada, which have been the home of numerous MW member schools.

This is an exciting opportunity to tap into that state’s market, according to conference 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,” Nevarez said.

GCU was most recently a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which is also where UTEP, the University of Wyoming itself and other MW member schools once competed. According to the MW release announcing the partnership, GCU has claimed 70 conference championships across its participating sports.

According to representatives of GCU itself, this partnership will be mutually beneficial. GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said that the school is interested in a conference to compete in as the school itself grows academically and athletically.

“We want to best position ourselves to be nationally competitive and we are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West,” Boggs said. “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.”

Just like UTEP, GCU will be making the official transition into MW membership July 1, 2026. This is the same date that Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State make their departure for the Pac-12.

For more information on this partnership, see the Mountain West Conference website to view the full release.