Amanda Knapp
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. They joined the Mountain West Conference in 2025, one year earlier than their expected departure from the Western Athletic Conference in 2026. The team is led by head coach Bryce Drew, and they play their home games at Global Credit Union Arena.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the basketball team | Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team |
| University represented | Grand Canyon University |
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Current conference | Mountain West Conference |
| Previous conference | Western Athletic Conference (WAC) |
| Head coach | Bryce Drew |
| Home games arena | Global Credit Union Arena |
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Past divisions | NAIA, NCAA Division II |
| National championships | 3 (1975, 1978, 1988) |
| Year joined current conference | July 8, 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Mountain West Conference, having joined on July 8, 2025, a year earlier than expected. Prior to this, they were members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), having joined on July 1, 2013.
The Antelopes are led by head coach Bryce Drew, who was appointed in March 2020. They play their home games at the Global Credit Union Arena. The team has a rich history in basketball, dating back to the founding of Grand Canyon College in 1949. That year, the college hired Howard Mansfield as the coach of the Antelopes basketball team, the first sports team sponsored by the school.
The Antelopes played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) through the 1989-90 season, winning national championships in 1975, 1978, and 1988. They then moved up to NCAA Division II for the 1990-91 season, appearing in ten NCAA Division II tournaments. In 2013, the Antelopes made the transition to NCAA Division I, joining the WAC. They became full members eligible for postseason play in the 2017-2018 season. During their time in Division I, the Antelopes have appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments and two Division I College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournaments.
In the 2022-23 season, the Antelopes finished with a 24-12 record, placing fourth in the WAC with an 11-7 conference record. They won the WAC tournament, defeating UT Arlington, Seattle, Sam Houston, and Southern Utah to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament as a 14-seed. However, their season ended with an 82-70 loss to 3-seed Gonzaga in the first round.
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Mountain West Conference
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. They are a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) and are led by head coach Bryce Drew. The team plays their home games at the Global Credit Union Arena.
The Mountain West Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in the NCAA Division I. The MW officially began operations on January 4, 1999, and geographically covers a broad expanse of the Western United States, with member schools located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Hawaii.
The creation of the MW was an aftereffect of the 1996 NCAA conference realignment, which was triggered by the merger of the Big Eight Conference and four members of the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 Conference. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC), which initially planned to expand to at least 12 members, ended up taking in three of the four SWC schools left out of the Big 12 merger. This expansion caused tension within the WAC, and eventually, BYU and Utah proposed a permanent split into two eight-team divisions.
The MW has experienced some changes in membership over the years. In 2005, TCU joined the conference after spending four seasons in Conference USA. Boise State University became a member in 2010, followed by California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), and the University of Nevada, Reno. However, the conference has also seen departures, with BYU leaving in 2010 to go independent in football and join the West Coast Conference for other sports.
The UNLV Rebels, representing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, have been a dominant force in the Mountain West Conference, consistently ranking at the top of the conference power rankings.
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Bryce Drew, head coach
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. They are a member of the Mountain West Conference and are currently led by head coach Bryce Drew.
Drew was named the new GCU men's basketball head coach on March 17, 2020, replacing Dan Majerle. Drew had previously been the head coach at Valparaiso University and Vanderbilt University. He played basketball as a point guard for Valparaiso High School and Valparaiso University, where he was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball of 1994 and collected dozens of honours and records.
After his playing career, Drew became an assistant coach at Valparaiso University in 2005 and was promoted to associate coach in 2006. He was hired as Valparaiso's head coach in 2011 and led the team to a successful record during his five seasons. In 2016, he was hired by Vanderbilt as their head coach, and the team qualified for the NCAA tournament in his first year. Despite this early success, Vanderbilt fired Drew in 2019 after a losing season.
In his first five seasons as Grand Canyon's head coach, Drew has led the Antelopes to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including their first March Madness win in 2023-24. During the 2023-24 season, the Antelopes won their first outright WAC regular-season championship, the WAC Tournament, and logged a 30-win season. Drew has established a new culture and program identity, recruiting new players and leading the team to success despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. The team was once a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), playing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) through the 1989–90 season. During their time in the NAIA, they were national champions in 1975, 1978, and 1988. They have appeared in 10 NAIA tournaments, with a combined record of 18-7.
The Antelopes moved up to NCAA Division II for the 1990–91 season and have since appeared in 10 NCAA Division II tournaments, with a combined record of 5–10. They made the jump to NCAA Division I and joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 1, 2013. They have since appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, with a combined record of 1–4. They have also appeared in three Division I CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) Tournaments and two Division I College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournaments.
In 2024, Grand Canyon University accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference, which consists of competitive institutions with national brands, passionate fan bases, and first-class facilities. The move was initially planned for no later than July 1, 2026, but the university made the transition earlier, joining the conference in 2025.
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team plays its home games at Global Credit Union Arena, creating an elite basketball atmosphere with the nationally renowned Havocs student section.
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NCAA Division I
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, having joined on July 8, 2025, a year earlier than their expected departure from the WAC in 2026.
The Antelopes have a rich history in basketball, dating back to their first year as Grand Canyon College in 1949. They hired Howard Mansfield as their first coach and played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), winning national championships in 1975, 1978, and 1988. In the 1990-91 season, they moved up to NCAA Division II.
Grand Canyon University made the jump to NCAA Division I and joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 1, 2013. During their time in the WAC, they experienced success, winning the WAC Commissioner's Cup for six consecutive years. They also qualified for the NCAA Tournament four times, with their most recent appearance in 2025.
The move to the Mountain West Conference marks a significant step in the university's transformation. The conference consists of competitive institutions with national brands, passionate fan bases, and first-class facilities. Grand Canyon University's large student body and academic growth further contribute to its ascension in NCAA Division I basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
The Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team represents Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. They are a member of the Mountain West Conference.
Grand Canyon University joined the Mountain West Conference on July 8, 2025, one year earlier than their expected departure date of July 1, 2026.
The Mountain West Conference consists of competitive institutions with national brands, passionate fan bases, and first-class facilities. Other teams in the conference include Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UNLV, and Wyoming.
