April 19, 2009

VANCOUVER, B.C. -

By Marc Weber, The Vancouver Province

The University of British Columbia is deferring its decision to apply for NCAA Division II membership until next year at the earliest.

The NCAA opened its doors to Canadian schools with a landslide vote in January 2008 to launch a 10-year pilot project.

Simon Fraser University confirmed last month that it will apply for NCAA Division II membership by this year's June 1 deadline and plans to move all its teams there in the next three years.

In a statement Thursday, UBC said too many critical questions remain unanswered, especially the issue of academic accreditation.

NCAA members need to be accredited by a U.S. agency, a costly process for UBC, and "inappropriate," according to Professor David Farrar, provost and vice president, academic.

UBC was ranked the world's 34th best public university in the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2008 and has routinely been among the top 40 in other rankings.

One way around the accreditation issue would be an exemption from the NCAA.

The debate within Canadian Interuniversity Sport about dual membership is another hurdle.

UBC Athletics, which is pushing for the move to the NCAA, has teams in CIS and in the U.S.-based NAIA league.

The department has indicated it would consider keeping some sports in CIS -- though likely just one or two. The CIS will vote on dual membership at this June's AGM, after the June 1 NCAA application deadline.

"CIS decisions on these matters will be critical to informing how UBC proceeds in certain sports," said UBC vice president, students, Brian Sullivan.

Simon Fraser based its decision largely on its historical roots. The university always competed against U.S. schools until its NAIA conference folded a decade ago as teams left for the NCAA. At that time, SFU was not allowed to apply for NCAA membership.

UBC Athletics sees the NCAA as the best option for keeping the most talented Canadian student-athletes at home.