SFU first non-U.S. team in the NCAA

Simon Fraser University has been approved as the first non-U.S. member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is the world’s largest college sports organization. The announcement comes on the heels of a decision by the University of British Columbia to defer joining the organization by at least one year.

The school says all of its varsity teams will compete in the NCAA’s second division in 2011, after a two-year transition period, according to a press release issued July 10.

"This is a first for a Canadian university, and it reflects SFU’s long history of competing in U.S. varsity associations and conferences,” says SFU president Michael Stevenson.

“It means a high level of competition and challenge for our athletes. As has always been the case, our primary concern is that our athletes succeed as students. The NCAA has strong academic requirements and we will maintain the high academic standards that SFU has always demanded from all...teams.”

For more from the press release, click here.

Stay tuned to Maclean’s OnCampus for continuing coverage of this story.