GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

GCU A.D. Baker: Once upon a time, football was on the radar

Feb 10, 2014, 11:19 PM | Updated: 11:19 pm

LISTEN: Keith Baker, GCU Athletic Director

Grand Canyon University is in the midst of its first season as a Division I basketball school, with the Antelopes sporting a 12-11 (7-3) record as part of the Western Athletic Conference.

So, naturally, the biggest question is when the school will have a football team.

“That’s a great question and I get it all the time,” GCU Athletic Director Keith Baker told the Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM as part of Newsmakers Week. “Mostly from folks that are starting to work at Grand Canyon, new employee orientation. I usually get that about every other week.”

Baker said there was a time, back when GCU was still at the Division II level, that football was looked at as an option.

“We were moving down that road, but kind of about-faced,” he said. “The move to Division I, the involvement with the Western Athletic Conference — a conference that’s moving away from football membership — kind of leads us into the area where basketball is the predominant sport on the men’s and women’s side.

“And so that’s really where the focus is right now.”

Grand Canyon University

Tyon Grant-Foster...

Nick Borgia

GCU’s Tyon Grant-Foster enters 2024 NBA Draft, per report

Grand Canyon's Tyon Grant-Foster, who was the 2023-24 WAC Player of the Year, will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, per Shams Charania.

4 days ago

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley and assistant Jermaine Kimbrough...

Arizona Sports

Grand Canyon hires Bobby Hurley’s top Arizona State assistant, Jermaine Kimbrough

Arizona State assistant coach Jermaine Kimbrough has departed Bobby Hurley's staff and joined nearby Grand Canyon head coach Bryce Drew.

7 days ago

South Carolina celebrates winning an NCAA Championship...

Associated Press

NCAA women’s title between South Carolina, Iowa was most-watched hoops game in 5 years

South Carolina's victory over Iowa in the women's NCAA championship game had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN.

10 days ago

Caitlin Clark and members of the Iowa women's basketball team celebrate their Final Four win over U...

Associated Press

Caitlin Clark leads Iowa rally for win over UConn in women’s Final Four

Caitlin Clark scored 21 points and made three big 3-pointers in the second half to rally Iowa past Paige Bueckers and UConn, 71-69.

13 days ago

Gabe McGlothan...

Arizona Sports

College Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests at GCU include Gabe McGlothan, Arizona’s Keshad Johnson

Grand Canyon will host the 2024 College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships. GCU's Gabe McGlothan and Arizona's Keshad Johnson will compete.

16 days ago

Bryce Drew reacts during a game...

Tyler Drake

Grand Canyon using NCAA Tournament run as springboard for next year

It was another year of forward progress for the Grand Canyon men's basketball team led by head coach Bryce Drew.

20 days ago

GCU A.D. Baker: Once upon a time, football was on the radar