As Grand Canyon University continues their successful transition to Division I so too does the evolution of their on-campus athletic facilities.
Tuesday the school announced their #GCU10in2 initiative which calls for the completion of 10 athletic facilities within the next two years. One of those will be a new practice facility for head basketball coach Dan Majerle and his Lopes who will be eligible for the NCAA Tournament in 2018. The other upgrades include GCU Stadium (a state-of-the-art soccer facility which officially opens later this month), GCU’s new baseball stadium, a student-athlete development center, tennis facility, beach volleyball stadium, a 2,500 square-foot equipment room, a GCU golf course practice facility and an extended athletics training center.
“This is a historic time for our athletic program as we enter the final year of our four-year transition period to Division I athletics,” said Mike Vaught, vice president of athletics for GCU in a release from the school. “We want to be Top 25 in everything that we do and these incredible facilities will help us continue to compete at the highest level and strive for excellence both academically and athletically.”
GCU enrollment has exploded from 900 students in 2008 to more than 17,000 this fall as the campus is the midst of a $1 billion expansion.
“We have been able build out our campus using our cash reserves without relying on taxpayer subsidies and without raising tuition, which has been frozen on our ground campus for eight straight years,” said GCU President Brian Mueller in the release. “The additions of new classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, athletic facilities and other student amenities have not only transformed our campus but are also having a significant impact on our community as we continue our efforts to revitalize west Phoenix.”
No longer is GCU “the best kept secret” in Arizona.
#LopesRising indeed.
