Grand Canyon will join the Mountain West Conference at least through 2026, the school and conference announced Friday.

The decision comes six months after GCU announced it would join the West Coast Conference in 2025.

“We want to best position ourselves to be nationally competitive, and we are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West,” GU athletics director Jamie Boggs said in a statement. “We join a conference that has seen national success, developed a rich tradition over its 26 years, and positioned us financially for competitive success in this changing collegiate landscape. We are eager to compete for championships with our future peers in the Mountain West .”

GCU will participate in 17 conference-sponsored sports, most notably men’s basketball. The Antelopes have qualified for the past three NCAA men’s basketball tournaments, the most recent of which included a first-round loss to fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s.

“Grand Canyon is a great addition to the Mountain West. We are excited to expand our footprint into the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona,” MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement. “Grand Canyon has been on the rise both academically and athletically over the past decade, and its addition to the league will increase competition in the Mountain West as we strive to earn NCAA postseason bids and compete for national championships .”

The MW began targeting GCU for expansion after five of its members – Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State – announced earlier this year that they were leaving for the Pac-12.

The GCU’s decision was not well received by the World Council of Churches, which announced in May that the GCU – along with Seattle – would participate in the conference in July 2025.

“We are disappointed with the decision to seek membership of the conference elsewhere just months after completing the membership agreement with the WCC, which would have enhanced its national profile,” said WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson. “The WCC views GCU’s decision as a missed opportunity to be part of one of the premier conferences in men’s basketball. The WCC is a perennial multi-bid league with a rich history that includes multiple national champions, six Final Four appearances and numerous deep runs in the league. NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.

“The WCC President’s Council will continue to evaluate the current landscape of Division I athletics, ambitiously explore expansion and alliance opportunities that position the WCC for NCAA success; pursue meaningful scheduling opportunities for all members; and national exposure for the conference generates through extensive broadcast visibility to which it has become accustomed.”

The WCC also recently lost conference power Gonzaga, which announced last month it would join the Pac-12 in 2026.

As part of the announcement, GCU said it could join the MW as early as “the second quarter of 2025, if permitted under the conference bylaws.”