NCAA set to add 1st foreign school

Published Jul. 13, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The NCAA is close to adding its first international member, with a single step remaining before Simon Fraser joins the ranks of Division II.

The Division II Membership Committee has conditionally approved Simon Fraser, located in Burnaby, British Columbia, as a Division II active member. The NCAA's executive committee is expected to consider the move Aug. 1.

The NCAA requires all schools to be accredited by a U.S. agency. Simon Fraser has been accepted into candidacy by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, but the process will not be complete until 2017 at the earliest.

The Division II committee also took a preliminary step to consider membership applications from Mexican institutions.