Historic Decision by NCAA Division II to Open Door to Mexican Universities

MEXICALI, Mexico, Jan. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 20^th, NCAA Division II approved Proposal 2018-1, by a vote of 254-45, to open its doors to Mexican Universities accredited in the United States. CETYS University, with campuses in Baja Mexico, has been a strong proponent of the proposal, backed by three conferences in the west region — the California Collegiate Athletic Association, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the Pacific West Conference.

CETYS has the potential to become the first Mexican university in the NCAA, expanding on existing binational relations to benefit students, this time through sports. With a little more than 3,000 undergraduate students on its three campuses, CETYS is accredited by the Western Associations of Schools and Colleges.

CETYS President Dr. Fernando León-García stated, "This is an historic decision made by the NCAA.  We have been working hard to ensure that the university's efforts to step into the big leagues will pay off as our rigorous efforts to meet all NCAA requirements are already leaving its mark in the university's athletic program."  He added, "This decision represents two countries coming together through students in a cross-border framework, one which will benefit both students and universities throughout North America." 

CETYS prides itself on not only academic leadership but also in brokering and maintaining alliances with like-minded universities both here in the U.S. and abroad, with more than 50% of graduates having had an international experience.  Membership in the NCAA fits nicely into the university's mission to be an innovative leader in Mexico and in developing strong cross-border initiatives.

It appears that CETYS is well positioned to glide through the application process. It has garnered support from members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, its prospective conference, and gained a champion in the president of San Francisco State University, Dr. Leslie E. Wong, who helped lobby for it to become an NCAA member.

CETYS already serves a diverse population from Southern California, where students from the U.S. border region commute to CETYS in pursuit of a quality international education. And a short commute from its Tijuana campus to southern California schools is another plus in its favor.

"Although there is still a long way to go to achieve membership, the university will continue to raise the quality of our athletic program though a better prepared and more experienced coaching staff, an increase in our athletics budget, upgrading our facilities and increasing our teams," said Dr. León-García.

About CETYS:

CETYS is ranked among the top universities in Mexico and is climbing the ladder of international recognition. With bilingual and dual-degree programs, CETYS is innovative and expects academic, as well as moral, excellence from its students. Further, CETYS's location in Baja California, a region ripe with innovation, is a major draw. With a population of just over 3 million, and proximity to important cities in the United States, like San Diego, the state has 32 major universities and offers over one hundred professional degrees. The region also has an incredible tech ecosystem, with major technology parks focused on research and development.

CETYS University is the first Mexican university accredited by WASC, (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and boasts alliances with more than 80 international universities, including: UCSD, USD, City University of Seattle and National University. CETYS already serves a diverse population from Southern California, where students from the U.S. border region commute to CETYS in pursuit of an international quality education. By 2020 CETYS University aims to be the educational institution with the best MBA program in Latin America, with a focus on entrepreneurship and engineering.

SOURCE CETYS University

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