Western Athletic Conference logo in Grand Canyon's colors
The Grand Canyon Antelopes (more commonly referred to as the Lopes) are the 21 athletic teams representing Grand Canyon University, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Most of the university's athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Western Athletic Conference.[2][3] Beach volleyball and men's volleyball compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), with men's volleyball having joined in the 2017–18 academic year and beach volleyball in 2024–25, the first season for MPSF beach volleyball.[4] The university will become a full member of the Mountain West in 2026.
History
Grand Canyon College was founded in 1949. The Antelopes began play during the college's first academic year, initially only with a men's basketball team due to the school's small size.[5]
GCU was a member of the NAIA until the early 1990s when it transferred to NCAA Division II, in which it competed until 2013.
The university has undergone a transition from a small struggling non-profit liberal arts college to a large modern for-profit private university. Along with the general campus upgrades has come an increase in athletics and athletic facilities.
On November 27, 2012, Grand Canyon University announced that it had accepted an invitation to join Division I's Western Athletic Conference, effective July 1, 2013.[6] This move made Grand Canyon the only for-profit institution with a Division I athletic program.[7]
Pac-12 Conference officials initially took issue with GCU's business model before eventually reversing course. In July 2013, the chief executives of all 12 members of the sent a joint letter to the NCAA asking that the organization review whether for-profit institutions have a place in Division I sports.[8] Later that year, Arizona State University issued a separate statement questioning the school's allegiance to the NCAA's business model.[9] GCU president Brian Mueller accused ASU president Michael Crow of being behind the Pac-12 letter.[10] Crow would later double down on his accusations, falsely claiming in 2017 that 11 of the 12 Pac-12 schools would not play GCU because of its for-profit business model, and also asserting that GCU sought to play Pac-12 schools solely for exposure on the Pac-12 Network.[9] Counter to Crow's 2017 assertion, 10 Pac-12 members had scheduled GCU in at least one sport since the Antelopes' move to Division I, although only Arizona and Utah had faced GCU in men's basketball.[9] The controversy quickly dissipated, as Arizona State and Grand Canyon routinely compete athletically including in men's basketball,[11] women's basketball,[12] baseball[13] and softball.[14]
The university announced a five-year sponsorship deal with Nike on May 27, 2015, as a part of Grand Canyon's athletic expansion.
On August 23, 2017, the NCAA officially approved Grand Canyon's move to Division I, elevating the university to active membership status. GCU immediately became eligible for postseason competition.[15] The women's golf program became the first team to represent the school in NCAA DI postseason in 2018.[16]
GCU quickly thrived in the WAC, winning six straight Commissioner's Cups for fully completed school years as the conference's top-performing athletics department.[17]
The university announced on May 10, 2024, that it will become a full member of the West Coast Conference on July 1, 2025.[18][19] On November 1, the university announced that it would instead join the Mountain West Conference no later than July 1, 2026.[20]
Sports
Grand Canyon University sponsors teams in 10 men's and 11 women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[21]
Men's basketball is coached by Bryce Drew of NCAA tournament lore.
GCU won three NAIA Men's Basketball Championships at the NAIA Division I level in 1975, 1978, and 1988, the 2007 PacWest Conference Championship and a berth in the 2007 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament.[22]
GCU has seen two Lopes basketball alumni go on to careers in the NBA, including: Horacio Llamas, the first Mexican-born player to play in an NBA game.;[26] and Bayard Forrest, former basketball player with the Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns.
Croatian national team player Emilio Kovačić played his first university basketball seasons in Grand Canyon, before leaving to Arizona State.[27][28] In 2021, the Lopes won their first WAC championship and made their first NCAA appearance. In 2024, making their third NCAA tournament appearance in four years, the Lopes claimed their first tournament win by upsetting Saint Mary's.[29]
Softball was added in 2004 and in 2010 the team made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2010. 2010 also saw the Lopes set a new program record for most wins in a season going 42–11.[33] Under first-year head coach Shanon Hays, the program qualified for its first NCAA Division I tournament in 2022 after winning the WAC Tournament.[34]
Men's lacrosse made a brief appearance as an NCAA sport from 2008 to 2011. The team played its first game on February 10, 2008, an 18–8 loss to Arizona (MCLA DI).[37] In 2010, GCU and other NCAA DII lacrosse programs in the Southwest formed the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. In the Lopes' only season as a member of the WILA, the team recorded a 3–5 conference record.[38] After a number of below .500 seasons combined with increasing travel costs due to lack of NCAA DII competition in the region, the university announced in March 2011 it would end Division II lacrosse competition.[39]
Wrestling
In March 2016, the school announced that it would discontinue its wrestling program.[40] The program went 6–32 in the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons[41] and competed independent of a conference.
Club sports
The university has a robust club sports offering with programs not affiliated with the NCAA. With over 30 programs offered, GCU's club sports teams have dedicated coaching staffs, athletic trainers and sometimes travel for competition.[42]
Men's rugby was added as a club sport in 2013.[45] The team began competing in the 2014–2015 academic year.
Ice Hockey
Men's ice hockey began as a club sport in 2016 at the ACHA DII and DIII levels until 2019 when the program was accepted at the DI level.[46] Women's ice hockey began in 2017 and is a member of the WWCHL and competes in DI of the ACHA.[47]
Athletic facilities
Grand Canyon University has several athletic facilities where its 21 NCAA athletic programs host home games.
Global Credit Union Arena is host to the school's basketball and volleyball teams. The venue opened in 2011 as a 5,000-seat venue before being expanded to increase capacity to 7,000 seats in 2014.
Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark hosts the baseball program, where a brand new stadium was built to surround the existing field in 2018. The stadium is named after Grand Canyon's longtime baseball coach Dr. Dave Brazell.[48]
GCU Stadium is home to the men's and women's soccer programs. The facility opened in 2016 and can hold in excess of 6,000 fans. GCU ranked in the top 10 in both 2016 and 2018 in average attendance for its men's soccer games.
Antelope Gymnasium, which used to house GCU's indoor sports, has served as a secondary indoor facility since 2011 after the opening of GCU Arena.
GCU Golf Course is located nearby and was renovated by the university in an operation agreement with the City of Phoenix.
GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium is a seven-court, on-campus facility with three courts in the main stadium area surrounded by bleachers and grass berms.
The GCU Tennis Facility is a six-court, on-campus facility.
