GCU Havocs are heartbeat of Lopes fanbase

PHOENIX – Within the world of mid-major college basketball, many boisterous, creative and passionate student sections vy to become the No. 1 one support group in the country. 

Grand Canyon’s Havocs have some pretty influential fans in their corner.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell once highlighted the impact the Havocs have on opposing teams when he was playing at Louisville. On an X post that featured the Havocs during pregame, Mitchell posted, “I’ve been saying this is the craziest arena I’ve ever played in!”

Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino, now at St. John’s, agreed with Mitchell after GCU hosted Louisville in 2016.

“You got something special here, really special,” Pitino said. “When you have this type of enthusiasm, it made us a much better team tonight. Whether we go to Duke, Kentucky, nothing was as tough as that environment tonight.” 

The GCU Havocs, established during the 2013-14 school year when the school was transitioning to NCAA Division I, have continued to progress. With the success of the men’s basketball program, the Havocs have created a special home-court advantage.

“Wins like this aren’t just for our team, they’re for everyone in the building who supports GCU,” Lopes coach Bryce Drew said in a postgame interview after GCU defeated eventual Mountain West champ Utah State this season. “You don’t win games without a village of people pulling in the same direction and we have that here.”

More than a decade since the Havocs caught the nation’s attention, they continued to give Grand Canyon that homecourt advantage this season as the Lopes moved from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West. 

The move meant more eyes and national attention focused on the Lopes and Havocs. Within the Mountain West, several schools with student sections bring similar energy, including Utah State, New Mexico and San Diego State.

During its first season in the MWC, GCU hosted 23rd-ranked Utah State in a nationally televised game in January. The Havocs showcased their energy to the nation and the Lopes pulled off the upset 84-74. The Havocs stormed the court to celebrate, leading Drew to commend them in the aforementioned postgame conference. 

Among Havocs traditions are “Camp Elliott” – named for student Daniel Elliott who was the first to pitch a tent and started the trend in 2015 – in which students camp for days in to secure prime seating for the basketball Midnight Madness event; the “Purple Pregame Party,” which features DJs, music and choreographed student cheers; and the tradition of flashing the “Lopes Up” hand gesture at the start of games and remaining standing until sitting until the first points are scored.

But with a big and passionate student group like the Havocs, more is at play than just attending games and dressing up on theme nights. A structured team of students organize the group and make plans to support basketball and other sports.

“Having another year in the Mountain West, people know our name, they know our teams,” said Jesi Weeks, director of game entertainment and spirit programs at GCU. “Even though Mountain West is changing next year, it is an opportunity for us to elevate when new teams come in and old teams go to establish our name amongst those groups.”

When GCU was added to the MWC, those familiar with the university and college basketball were excited to see the Havocs on a bigger stage. During home games, visiting fans like to post on social media about the atmosphere. 

To maintain momentum, the Havocs recruit freshmen, hosting events at the beginning of the year before their women’s volleyball season begins.

“Our first Havoc event, Lopalooza, is when we fill the entire arena with students to cheer on the women’s volleyball first game of the season,” said Havocs vice president Kendra Slater, who will take over as president for the 2026-27 school year. “That takes a lot of marketing for the welcome week.”

The process continues with the Havocs working alongside the school’s marketing department to decide on themes for various games during the season. During the men’s basketball season, the Havocs organized Beach Day, God Bless America Night and a whiteout, among other themes.

“Our process begins early in the year,” Slater said. “We first get the themes and we assign them to games and then from there we think about doing more, like T-shirt giveaways or what we want on the seats.”

The Havocs work with GCU’s social media department as well to promote theme games. And the effort has paid off.

“When you put a lot of work and thought and care into something, it’s really nice to see that get recognized,”said Evan McKee, a Havocs leader. “Being thrust into the Mountain West and into a national spotlight means we are going to be highlighted a little bit more. We’ve been really excited and grateful for all the covers that we’ve gotten so far. The more the Havocs get the spotlight, the more GCU gets the spotlight.” 

Grand Canyon is in the final stretch of sports this school year after the men’s and women’s basketball teams failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. 

Despite that, the Havocs are still at work, focusing their attention on the school’s baseball and softball programs, bringing the same energy and excitement to the diamond that they bring to the basketball arena.

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