Grand Canyon University Joins Mountain West, Sparks New Rivalry With UNLV Rebels

The Mountain West Conference is looking at realignment in 2026, with five teams leaving for the Pac-12 and teams joining the conference to replace them. The UNLV Rebels are one of the top teams remaining in the Mountain West, and they officially just got a new rival. 

The Grand Canyon University Antelopes have officially finalized a deal to join the Mountain West no later than July 1, 2026. This process began when GCU agreed to join the conference back in November of 2024. Otherwise, they would have faced Independence after already deciding to leave the Western Athletic Conference. 

Grand Canyon president Brian Mueller says that he is grateful that the Mountain West decided to bring them in. Following the official announcement that they were joining the new-look conference, he released a statement.

"We are incredibly appreciative of the Mountain West Conference's interest in GCU and their recognition of the value we bring to its membership," GCU president Mueller said. "Lope Nation has grown first and foremost because of the innovative strategies and creative delivery models that enable us to provide cutting-edge academic programs both on our campus and across the country. That has created a tremendous amount of momentum that benefits our athletic programs." 

The Mountain West continues to add teams and fill out their conference. Grand Canyon is strong addition to their lineup. We expect them to become a rival of the Rebels for as long as the two programs remain in the Mountain West. It's going to be interesting to see how this conference looks in 2026 after all the smoke clears.  

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