Grand Canyon is joining the Mountain West immediately instead of in 2026, as previously announced.
Grand Canyon's move to the Mountain West is happening a year earlier than previously announced, meaning the school is immediately joining the league.
Initially slated to join the MWC in all sports except football in 2026, the Phoenix school announced on Tuesday, July 8, that it would be leaving the West Coast Conference and joining the Mountain West immediately.
In a release, it said, "Grand Canyon University will enter the Mountain West Conference on July 8, 2025, and immediately participate in regular-season competition and conference championships beginning this fall. The conference's board of directors approved GCU's entry, jump-starting the Lopes' move to one of the nation's premier conferences."
The Mountain West will have 12 members in all sports except football (where it will have 11) this season. Next year, when UTEP joins the league as part of a membership overhaul, it will have 10 members for all sports except football, where it will have nine.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: GCU exits WCC, enters Mountain West for 2025–26 season
Category: General Sports
