The Mountain West Conference adds Grand Canyon as a full non-football member in 2026

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The Mountain West is adding Grand Canyon University as a full non-football member in 2026, the conference announced Friday. It is the latest addition to the MWC as it rebuilds following the pending departure of five schools for the corresponding rebuild of the Pac-12 in 2026.

The MWC is also set to add the University of Texas El Paso from Conference USA. Sole football member Hawaii becomes a full member, giving the league eight full football members, plus non-football member Grand Canyon.

“The Grand Canyon is a tremendous addition to the Mountain West,” MWC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement.

“Grand Canyon has been on an upward trajectory both academically and athletically for the past decade, and its addition to the league will increase competition across the Mountain West as we strive to earn NCAA postseason bids and compete for national championships.”

The Grand Canyon men’s basketball team has reached the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons out of the Western Athletic Conference, including a second-round appearance earlier this year as a No. 12 seed that beat No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s. The school, which does not have a football program, will compete in 17 sports in the MWC.

GCU announced earlier in May that it would join the West Coast Conference in 2025.

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon moved up from Division II to Division I in 2013. It is a private, for-profit university that has about 25,000 students on its Phoenix campus and more than 95,000 online students. The Department of Education fined the school $37.7 million in 2023 for allegedly misrepresenting the cost of its doctoral programs, but the school has appealed that decision.

“GCU continues to grow rapidly as an institution and as an athletics program,” Athletic Director Jamie Boggs said. “We want to best position ourselves to be nationally competitive, and we are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West.

“We join 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.”

With eight full-time football players already committed, the Mountain West meets FBS requirements. Membership for 2026 will now be: Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, University of Nevada Las Vegas, UTEP and Wyoming, along with Grand Canyon.

The conference also continues to look at football prospects like Northern Illinois and Toledo from the MAC, according to league sources. Football drives the TV money and having at least eight football games in the league would be preferable for the conference.

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(Photo: Nicole Mullen / USA Today)