PHOENIX — Grand Canyon has accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference no later than 2026, according to an announcement sent by the school Friday.

The Antelopes will join a conference that has six existing full members, including Air Force, New Mexico, Nevada, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming. Hawaii, a football-only member of the MWC, will become a full member in 2026. UTEP has also announced it is joining in 2026.

Grand Canyon said 17 of its 21 sports teams will play in the Mountain West. The Antelopes do not have a football program but have had considerable success in men’s basketball, making the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons.

The for-profit institution's profile has increased dramatically since the 1990s and 2000s, when it was a Division II program competing in the PacWest Conference against Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade and BYU-Hawaii.

“GCU continues to rapidly grow as an academic institution and as an athletics program,” GCU athletics director Jamie Boggs said in a statement. “We want to best position ourselves to be nationally competitive, and we are excited about the vision and future of the Mountain West."

Grand Canyon's move comes less than six months after it announced it was joining the West Coast Conference, which at the time included basketball powerhouse Gonzaga. But Gonzaga recently announced it was joining the Pac-12.

The West Coast Conference sent out a statement Friday expressing disappointment with Grand Canyon's decision.

“We have been notified by Grand Canyon University of its decision to withdraw as a member of the West Coast Conference," WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson said in the statement. “We are disappointed with its decision to seek conference membership elsewhere just months after completing its membership agreement with the WCC that would have enhanced its national profile. The WCC views GCU’s decision as a missed opportunity to be part of one of the premier conferences in men’s basketball.”

Meanwhile, Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez lauded the move.

“Grand Canyon is a tremendous addition to the Mountain West. We are excited to expand our footprint into the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona,” Nevarez said in a statement. “Grand Canyon has been on an upward trajectory both academically and athletically for the past decade, and its addition to the league will enhance the competition across the Mountain West as we strive to earn NCAA postseason bids and compete for national championships.”