BURNABY, British Columbia — Simon Fraser has been approved to join the NCAA, the first time membership has been granted to a college outside the United States.

The Canadian school said Friday that it will begin competing in Division II after a two-year transition period. All the school's varsity teams will compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, which includes Montana State-Billings.

The Division II membership committee approved Simon Fraser's application during a meeting at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. Simon Fraser has 19 teams that have been competing in the NAIA in the U.S. and Canadian Interuniversity Sport.

The Great Northwest has nine full-member schools in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, and four football-only members in Washington, California, Utah and Oregon.