It’s officially the second day of the NCAA Men’s Tournament, featuring another action-packed day of teams looking to bust brackets across the world.
Although some might find it difficult to watch all 16 matchups throughout the day, certain names will stand out more than others. Whether it’s Cooper Flagg and Duke or Dan Hurley and UConn, basketball enthusiasts will have their eyes peeled to see which teams advance and which will end their journey early.
While the names of different colleges and universities might ring a bell, it’s often difficult to pinpoint exactly where they’re located on the map — including Grand Canyon. Well, maybe this one might be a bit more obvious than others, but it’s still important to acknowledge how this select group of men punched their ticket to “March Madness.”
A part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the Antelopes finished second in the conference with a 26-7 overall record. After winning their conference championship 89-82, Grand Canyon secured their spot in the tournament for the third consecutive year. As a No. 13 seed, GCU will face No. 4 seed Maryland in their first-round matchup.
Where is Grand Canyon University located?
Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a private Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona. GCU has one of the highest enrollments for any private university, with over 125,000 students enrolled in the program — 25,000 on campus and the remaining 100,000 online.
GCU boasts a commitment to high-quality online education, devotion to the Christian faith, and widespread affordability.
Grand Canyon basketball NCAA Tournament history
Year | Seed | Result |
|---|---|---|
2021 | #15 | Loss vs. #2 Iowa 74-86 |
2023 | #14 | Loss vs. #3 Gonzaga 70-82 |
2024 | #12 | Win vs. #5 St. Mary's 75-66 |
2025 | #13 | TBD vs. #4 Maryland |
Grand Canyon previously competed as a Division II school before transitioning to Division I in 2013. However, they were not eligible for the NCAA Division I Tournament until 2018.
Since their arrival, GCU hasn’t built an extensive tournament history, compiling a combined record of 1-3. Their only win came as an upset in last year’s tournament when they defeated fifth-seeded St. Mary’s. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the next round by fourth-seeded Alabama, which went on to make the Final Four.
GCU has also appeared in three CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT) from 2014-2016, making their deepest run in 2016 when they advanced to the quarterfinals.