Originally agreeing on May 9 to become a new member of the West Coast Conference only to switch its mind and accept an invitation to join the Mountain West in November, GCU is in hot water as the WCC is taking legal action.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The WCC is suing Grand Canyon University with a breach of contract lawsuit on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. According to a press release, “the lawsuit is the result of GCU’s refusal to satisfy and then deny its financial obligation with regards to substantial amounts owed to the Conference in both entrance and withdrawal fees, each was due within 30 days of its withdrawal notice.”
On July 1, 2025, GCU was set to depart from its current conference, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), to become a member of the WCC. The President of Grand Canyon University and Chief Executive Officer, Brian E. Mueller, executed the binding agreement with the WCC.
“The Constitution of the West Coast Conference establishes that its Presidents’ Council determines the amount of the equity buy-in for a new member dependent on many criteria, including financial ability and academic standing and results,” the release said. “Funds from the entrance fee are utilized for conference support services, including those directly benefiting student-athletes.
“The entrance fee established for Grand Canyon University was the result of many discussions considering a variety of factors including the financial status of the institution and its affiliate. Shortly after execution of the membership agreement, the Phoenix-based institution made the first payment of its entrance fee as required by the May 9 agreement.”
While this seemed like it was a done deal and both parties were satisfied, it was less than six months later that GCU notified the WCC that the school wanted to withdraw its membership from the conference since it received the offer from the Mountain West.
In the agreement signed by Mueller himself, however, GCU is required to pay the entire sum of its entrance fee and the membership withdrawal fee that is in the WCC’s constitution. GCU made the first payment of its entrance fee but does not intend to pay the remainder of both the entrance fee and the withdrawal fee, sparking this lawsuit.
“The purpose of a legal contract is to put the force of law behind agreements between parties,” West Coast Conference Commissioner
Since the WCC is set to lose college basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to the Pac-12, it has created speculation as to whether other institutions would either follow the Bulldogs in leaving the conference for another or remain in it.
Before the lawsuit, GCU planned for 17 of its 21 sports to join the Mountain West as soon as the second quarter of 2025.
GCU will join Mountain West Conference, axes original plan to go to WCC
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Suns, ASU Athletics and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
