(07-26-2018 02:09 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  http://ktar.com/story/2050968/grand-cany...ilestones/

GCU is adding 100 acres and will grown from 19,000 students to 30,000 students within 5 years.

More construction going on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-QStR5K...e=youtu.be

Please pause and reflect for a moment on the lead story on the link you posted - a brand new state trooper (3 months out of academy, naval veteran) was killed during a highway altercation here in Phoenix this morning.

Only a matter of time before they start looking to add football and other sports. There plan to save that school has worked wonderfully.

Wonder where the 100 acres is coming from? Mostly residential neighborhood around it - other than on east side. Mostly industrial there

The WCC California basketball schools do think GCU is a fit for the conference which would bring a new market. GCU gets in easily now, but Seattle still on the outside looking in.

(07-26-2018 02:53 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  The WCC California basketball schools do think GCU is a fit for the conference which would bring a new market. GCU gets in easily now, but Seattle still on the outside looking in.

Just because GCU as private doesn't make them a good fit. They aren't Catholic or prestigious. They are nouveau riche. Unless GCU builds themselves into a powerhouse and Gonzaga and BYU want to leverage them a slot to boost conference RPI it's unlikely.

(07-26-2018 06:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(07-26-2018 02:53 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  The WCC California basketball schools do think GCU is a fit for the conference which would bring a new market. GCU gets in easily now, but Seattle still on the outside looking in.

Just because GCU as private doesn't make them a good fit. They aren't Catholic or prestigious. They are nouveau riche. Unless GCU builds themselves into a powerhouse and Gonzaga and BYU want to leverage them a slot to boost conference RPI it's unlikely.

There are Catholics in Phoenix, but no Catholic universities in the state. It is not just for their tv market, but a foothold into a state for recruitment for athletes to go to the WCC schools. They mentioned there are talent in the state that they are willing to overlook who GCU are so that they can reach to the kids there. BYU is not Catholic either, so it would not stop GCU from getting a look at. GCU's RPI is higher than several WCC schools. They would be like 4th in the conference.

(07-27-2018 06:21 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(07-26-2018 06:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(07-26-2018 02:53 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  The WCC California basketball schools do think GCU is a fit for the conference which would bring a new market. GCU gets in easily now, but Seattle still on the outside looking in.

Just because GCU as private doesn't make them a good fit. They aren't Catholic or prestigious. They are nouveau riche. Unless GCU builds themselves into a powerhouse and Gonzaga and BYU want to leverage them a slot to boost conference RPI it's unlikely.

There are Catholics in Phoenix, but no Catholic universities in the state. It is not just for their tv market, but a foothold into a state for recruitment for athletes to go to the WCC schools. They mentioned there are talent in the state that they are willing to overlook who GCU are so that they can reach to the kids there. BYU is not Catholic either, so it would not stop GCU from getting a look at. GCU's RPI is higher than several WCC schools. They would be like 4th in the conference.

Benedictine-Mesa is Catholic. WCC schools recruit Arizona already - GCU gives them little at this point.

GCU basketball is on a decent trajectory, but it has one top-100 RPI season in the last 5 years. They also have two seasons in the last five of 200+ RPI.

IF GCU continues to grab good home crowds and contend for the WAC championship and top-100 RPIs, they will definitely be on the WCC radar. At least they are showing an intention to grow and improve; complacency has been Gonzaga's biggest WCC complaint. BYU would love an annual conference game in the Phoenix area, which has one of the highest concentrations of alumni and fans outside of Utah.

And, FWIW, 30% of the WCC is not affiliated with the Catholic Church. The two newest members are non-Catholic. Pepperdine is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, Pacific has non-sectarian Methodist affiliation, and BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, there is definitely recent precedence to consider GCU.

Would really like to see GCU in the WCC. Bigger crowds, good area in Phoenix, and better than the average WCC team. Lock them in.

(07-27-2018 10:59 AM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 06:21 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(07-26-2018 06:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(07-26-2018 02:53 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  The WCC California basketball schools do think GCU is a fit for the conference which would bring a new market. GCU gets in easily now, but Seattle still on the outside looking in.

Just because GCU as private doesn't make them a good fit. They aren't Catholic or prestigious. They are nouveau riche. Unless GCU builds themselves into a powerhouse and Gonzaga and BYU want to leverage them a slot to boost conference RPI it's unlikely.

There are Catholics in Phoenix, but no Catholic universities in the state. It is not just for their tv market, but a foothold into a state for recruitment for athletes to go to the WCC schools. They mentioned there are talent in the state that they are willing to overlook who GCU are so that they can reach to the kids there. BYU is not Catholic either, so it would not stop GCU from getting a look at. GCU's RPI is higher than several WCC schools. They would be like 4th in the conference.

Benedictine-Mesa is Catholic. WCC schools recruit Arizona already - GCU gives them little at this point.

Three in Phoenix:

UMary in Tempe
Benedictine University in Mesa
The College of St. Scholastica in Phoenix and Mesa

(07-03-2018 11:49 AM)Wedge Wrote:  This is just corporate hocus-pocus. The new non-profit corporation is a subsidiary of Grand Canyon Education, Inc.

Quote:Here's how it happened: A newly formed non-profit corporation purchased academic operations and related assets from the public parent company, Grand Canyon Education Inc.

The parent company transferred property and improvements on the west Phoenix campus to GCU, along with other academic assets. The purchase price was about $875 million. GCU will pay using a seven-year loan.

The parent company will still provide services like marketing, accounting and human resources to GCU.

About 35 percent of the for-profit company's full-time employees, or 1,400 people, transferred their employment to GCU, as did most of the company's part-time employees, adjuncts and student workers.

Good point, Wedge.

On surface, it looks as if it is papered-over change with a loan essentially to itself.

GCU is going to be a tough school for the establishment to accept. They are nouveau riche and the old guard have trouble warming up to that.

They need to stabilize the WAC if they are going to sustain their rise. With enough success maybe they can eventually get the spot in the MWC offsetting Hawaii football that we all thought was going to go to Gonzaga.