Grand Canyon University is always on the move, and in 2025, that meant a move to a new athletic conference, the Mountain West. The year also saw the end of a yearslong endeavor to return to GCU to its historical roots as a nonprofit, along with big stories about men's soccer's best season ever, a big-screen film and more.
1. Department of Education acknowledges GCU's nonprofit status
The U.S. Department of Education approved the university’s nonprofit status in December. It was the last accrediting authority and governmental body to do so, falling in line with the IRS, Higher Learning Commission, state of Arizona, Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education and NCAA Athletics, which had already affirmed GCU as a nonprofit institute of higher learning. The move ended a yearslong effort by the university to return to its nonprofit roots. Press release
2. Notable Kern Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment gifts
GCU will be the beneficiary of significant gifts announced this year, including a $10.7 million gift from the Kern Family Foundation to expand the Canyon Center for Character Education. The initiative will weave Christ-like character formation into the university’s academic programs, co-curricular activities and leadership development across campus. Also announced, this December: A $9.9 million Lilly Endowment grant will establish the Flourishing Pastor Network. The initiative, led by Grand Canyon Theological Seminary, will support church-embedded residency programs for students training to be pastors.
3. Mountain West debut
Athletics made a big move in 2025 to the Mountain West Conference, announcing in July that it would join the MW a year earlier than planned. GCU is competing in 17 conference-sponsored sports in the Mountain West. “The addition of Grand Canyon for the 2025-26 academic year is a significant win for the student-athletes at GCU and in the Mountain West," said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. Story
4. Men's soccer's best season
Men’s soccer had a momentous season. After clinching the WAC Championship title with a defeat of San José State, the Lopes won their first Division I NCAA Tournament game against UCLA. But after advancing to the Sweet 16, the team's season ended with a loss to Portland, the national No. 8 seed. Story
5. T.W. Lewis Center opens
The T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success opened in October at the Colangelo College of Business. The multifaceted facility is designed to provide students with more tools, advanced avenues to employment and more exposure to the marketplace. It features a broadcast studio and podcast room, a ticker displaying stock market updates, and a Career Services office. Story
6. Opening of Public Safety Dispatch, Real-Time Operations Center
In February, the university opened the GCU Public Safety Dispatch and Real-Time Operations Center on 27th Avenue, transforming two of its existing buildings into Public Safety facilities using city of Phoenix Adaptive Reuse Program funds. The facility is providing increased crime detection technology that coordinates with the Phoenix and Glendale police departments while also serving as a deterrent to crime in the area. It is just one facet of the university’s efforts to improve safety in the area. GCU is part of 27Collab, a coalition of schools, churches, businesses and residents along 27th Avenue that has come together with the city of Phoenix to push back against criminal activity in the area. Story
7. Day of Giving, Amethyst Gala milestones
GCU’s Day of Giving hit a significant milestone, surpassing the $1 million mark. When it debuted in 2021, the online giving campaign, in which supporters can contribute to the university’s clubs, scholarship efforts, colleges, academic initiatives and more, raised almost $207,000 by the end of the day. For the 2025 campaign, a little more than $1 million was contributed by 2,900-plus supporters. The university also raised funds to support its Five-Point Plan to transform the community at its 75th anniversary Amethyst Gala, where supporters pledged approximately $1.5 million. The event attracted some 1,200 guests and was the culmination of GCU’s 75th anniversary celebration.
8. Big year for cyber
It was a big year for GCU’s cyber program. The Information Systems Security Association, a nonprofit for information security professionals that touts more than 10,000 members in 100 countries, named GCU its Organization of the Year. Also, the College of Engineering and Technology debuted its Overclock Experience, an immersive cybersecurity environment that includes designated technology student floors in Encanto residence hall, a hackable network for students to train on HACKnet, and the Cyber Center of Excellence, a training hub for cyber students that recently named its first executive director, David Richards. Story
9. Esports joins Mountain West
GCU Esports had a moment in 2025, also joining the Mountain West Conference for the 2025-26 competitive season. The conference sanctioned esports in 2017-18. The GCU program made its MW debut in September, defeating San José State in a three-game Rocket League matchup. The move marked a new era of growth for the program, which is competing in VALORANT and Rocket League on the varsity level in the conference. GCU Esports also hired its first full-time esports head coach, Matthew Calderwood, and awarded robust scholarships for 2025-26. Story
10. GCU partners to bring film to big screen
The university helped bring Christian film “The Last Supper” to the big screen during the Easter season, partnering with Pinnacle Peak Pictures, Canyon Productions, Great American Pure Flix and award-winning artist Chris Tomlin. “The Last Supper,” from the same producers of “God’s Not Dead” and “The Case for Christ,” tells the final days of Jesus’ life with His disciples through the eyes of Peter and Judas. Story
