Report: Grand Canyon joining Mountain West for 2025-26 schedule

Field Level Media|published: Tue 8th July, 12:36 2025

Mar 20, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Grand Canyon Antelopes head coach Bryce Drew yells to his team during practice at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Grand Canyon is finalizing a deal to join the Mountain West Conference in time for the 2025-26 athletic calendar, Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday.

The Phoenix-based university, which does not have a football program, originally was expected to join the league by July 2026. The school accepted an invitation from the Mountain West to join last Nov. 1.

The Antelopes have been a member of the Western Athletic Conference since the 2013-14 season.

Grand Canyon's men's basketball team, coached by Bryce Drew, has been to the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons.

The Mountain West membership has been evolving since five schools -- Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State -- announced they were joining the Pac-12 in 2026.

UC Davis, UTEP and Hawaii, who already compete in the Mountain West in football, are set to become full members in July 2026. The returning members of the conference are Air Force, New Mexico, Nevada, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming.

--Field Level Media

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