Report: Mountain West rebuilds with new member, targeting MAC schools

College sports realignment continues to work in the background as the current football season is duked out on the gridiron.

The Mountain West Conference, which was raided by the ailing Pac-12 over the last two months, appears to be starting its own revival.

The Action Network's Brett McMurphy reported Friday that the conference is adding Grand Canyon University as a non-football member beginning in 2026.

GCU's men's basketball team has appeared in three of the last four NCAA tournaments, demonstrating the MWC's attempt at countering the Pac-12's addition of Gonzaga in early October.

The addition does not alter the even number of football-only schools that will be a part of the conference come 2026. UTEP will be joining as the eighth all-sport member but the MWC isn't done adding reportedly.

McMurphy noted the MWC is in talks with Northern Illinois and Toledo to potentially leave the Mid-American Conference for the Rocky Mountains.

The shift, albeit minor, in the college sports landscape is an aftershock from 10 Pac-12 teams leaving for the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC in 2023.

Currently a two-team conference (Oregon State and Washington State), the Pac-12 had a football scheduling agreement with the MWC that expires after this season.

Five Mountain West teams (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State) decided to depart for the Pac-12 in September.

Multiple reports indicate the previous Power-status conference is not done expanding either ahead of the 2026 season.