Grand Canyon University Athletics
GCU, Arizona’s Family announce multi-year renewal
8/31/2026 9:00:00 AM | General
GCU, Arizona's Family grow partnership after successful 1st year of unprecedented local coverage
Grand Canyon University and Gray Media announced a multi-year renewal of their television partnership, extending a local media rights agreement that first established Arizona's Family as the Official Home of GCU Athletics in Fall 2025.
The renewed agreement continues to provide Lopes fans with free, over-the-air access to a long list of GCU Athletics events on 3TV and Arizona's Family Sports, further strengthening the university's connection with fans, alumni and communities across Arizona.
The extension follows an exciting debut year of the partnership, which saw GCU more than triple its number of live, locally televised events. More than 85 live GCU Athletics events aired on 3TV and/or Arizona's Family Sports. The schedule showcased GCU men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and men's and women's soccer.
"This has been a tremendous partnership for GCU and Lope Nation," GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. "Arizona's Family has helped us showcase the stories of GCU Athletics across the Valley and throughout the state. Renewing this agreement allows us to continue building on that momentum, making sure Lopes fans can follow our programs in a way that is first class. We value our relationship with Arizona's Family and look forward to this continuing partnership."
Beyond live game coverage, the partnership has provided GCU Athletics with meaningful storytelling opportunities across Arizona's Family platforms. Arizona's Family televised GCU Baseball's introductory press conference for head coach Steve Bieser live, while GCU student-athletes, coaches and programs were featured on daily programming including Your Life Arizona and The Extra Point. Those segments highlighted some of the Lopes' top moments and success stories, including the university's move to the Mountain West Conference and NCAA Tournament seasons for GCU softball, men's soccer and beach volleyball.
"We couldn't ask for better partners," said Debbie Bush, VP and General Manager. "The first year of this partnership exceeded all expectations, and we are thrilled to extend our commitment to Lopes fans across the state. By continuing to deliver free, over-the-air coverage, we are ensuring that communities throughout Arizona can stay connected to the incredible energy and success of GCU Athletics."
Arizona's Family Sports has continued to grow as a destination for free, live, local sports since launching in 2023. The channel's lineup includes the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Rising, Valley Suns, Arizona Interscholastic Association championships and GCU Athletics. Arizona's Family Sports has statewide carriage from Phoenix to Flagstaff, Tucson, Yuma and beyond.
The renewed local television agreement also complements the Mountain West's national media rights package, which begins in 2026-27 and includes national partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports and The CW Network, along with MW+ as the direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
As part of the MW package, CBS Sports, FOX Sports and The CW will provide national television exposure for selected conference events. All other GCU home games while be eligible for free over-the-air viewing on Arizona's Family while streaming on MW+. The combination gives GCU Athletics a multi-layered media approach that includes national television opportunities, a strong statewide broadcast platform and a flexible streaming solution.
In its first year, the GCU-Arizona's Family partnership brought Lopes home events to fans who could watch free over-the-air broadcasts. It also gave GCU Athletics a platform to elevate women's sports and championship-caliber programs that have helped the department's continued rise.
The three-year renewal was announced on Good Morning Arizona and Your Life Arizona on Monday as a new semester ramps up on campus with GCU's Welcome Week. Thursday's men's soccer match — featuring the Lopes as a reigning Sweet 16 program — will air on Arizona's Family Sports at 7 p.m., while Friday's volleyball home opener will air on 3TV at 7 p.m.
ABOUT GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY:
Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian university. GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 353 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University's curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.
ABOUT ARIZONA'S FAMILY:
Arizona's Family is the premier news, information and entertainment destination for the Phoenix metro area and state serving nearly seven million people who call Arizona home. With the hyper-local independent spirit of 3TV, backed by the investigative power of CBS 5, Arizona's Family delivers original content, live-breaking stories and in-depth coverage on issues that matter most to the people of Arizona. Arizona's Family delivers content on the platform of your choice: on-air, online, social media and streaming TV devices. Arizona's Family Sports is home to Arizona sports teams and organizations including the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Valley Suns, Phoenix Rising, Arizona Interscholastic Association and Grand Canyon University.
