Grand Canyon joining MWC in 2025? Exploring latest conference realignment update after Texas State's Pac-12 move

College sports realignment continues to shift rapidly, and Grand Canyon University (GCU) is the latest school making early moves. Originally scheduled to join the Mountain West Conference in 2026, reports now suggest GCU will be making the jump a year earlier, in time for the 2025–26 season.

They are one of many schools announcing a change in conference, with Texas State also set to join the Pac-12 across all sports from the 2026-27 school year.

Why the move makes sense now for GCU

When GCU accepted its invitation to the Mountain West last November, the announcement included some interesting language that they would join “no later than July 1, 2026, but possibly as early as the second quarter of 2025.” With the latest developments, it looks like they are going with the earliest option.

For the Mountain West, the timing works. The league’s basketball membership grows to 12 teams for 2025-26, which is a solid number for scheduling and tournament structure.

And with five MWC schools – Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State – on their way out to the Pac-12, the conference needs reinforcements.

Grand Canyon competitive edge and the Independent challenge

GCU is not new to competing at a high level, and the Antelopes have made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years, representing the Western Athletic Conference. But now that they have left the WAC, they will technically be without a conference for 2025-26, unless the Mountain West locks them in early.

Being independent, especially in basketball, makes it tough to get an at-large NCAA berth. It is therefore no surprise that GCU is pushing hard to get in right away.

“The earliest possible is when we will join,” GCU athletic director Jamie Boggs said on The Big Mountain Podcast, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. “We are excited to get in as soon as we can. When it’s mutually decided that we can enter, we will. I can’t express how excited we are to get as soon as we can.”

However, one potential roadblock is media-rights revenue, but there is speculation that GCU may be open to waiving their cut for the first year. That could make the transition smoother and help the Mountain West balance its payouts during this shuffle.