Canzano: Mountain West in pursuit of Grand Canyon
WCC playing defense with the new member.
The West Coast Conference executive cabinet meeting on Tuesday brought a jarring development.
An empty chair.
The athletic director at Grand Canyon University was a ‘no-show’ at the two-day event. Jamie Boggs’ absence caused a stir in the room. GCU’s president, Brian Mueller, also didn’t show up via video conference like the other WCC presidents.
Stu Jackson, the WCC commissioner, got on the phone while the conference ADs absorbed the impact and discussed what might come next. GCU officiallly joins the WCC next summer, but it was supposed to be at the meeting.
One athletic director compared it to a kid ghosting another kid in middle school.
“If a girl doesn’t reply,” the AD said, “it’s obvious she wants to break up with you.”
Grand Canyon has an offer to join the Mountain West, per sources.
The framework for the Mountain West’s offer to GCU includes a $3.5 million entry fee that would be paid to the conference, per a source. The Antelopes would receive a guaranteed $1.5 million in media-rights distributions over the next six years.