Grand Canyon University will officially join the Mountain West Conference by July 1, 2026, setting the stage for a budding rivalry with UNLV as the league undergoes major realignment.

Grand Canyon has finalized a deal allowing it to join the Mountain West Conference in time to participate in the 2025-26 athletic calendar, sources confirmed to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. Grand Canyon was originally set to join the Mountain West no later than July 1, 2026 but it will now start competing as a member in the fall.

Grand Canyon will be one of 14 schools competing in the conference next season. The accelerated transition comes after five Mountain West schools announced they intend to depart the conference and join the Pac-12 in 2026. Those schools are Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State.