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Chicago Daily Herald
A Mexican university located just south of San Diego is looking to become the first member of the NCAA to be located south of the U.S. border.
Having submitted its application in January, now Cetys University has to prove it can comply with a series of rules. Cetys rector Fernando León GarcÃa described the process as "long" to AGP Desportes in January, and also clarified that just because it's seeking NCAA accreditation, doesn't mean Cetys has its sights on becoming a Division I powerhouse.
"Do not expect to see us competing against Ohio State or UCLA in football and basketball," León GarcÃa told AGP. Instead, he added, Cetys is looking to compete against smaller, Division II schools, such as Westmont College of Santa Barbara, a member of the Golden State Athletic Conference.
"We would compete against small universities that have anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 students, where sports is just one component of life," he said. "In Division I, you have the big universities that … have mega budgets and a long tradition in sports."
For example, the entire year's athletic budget at Cetys totals to about $1.25 million, The New York Times reported Monday. At a Division I school like Ohio State or UCLA, that wouldn't even cover a football coach's salary.
Cetys, which already travels to the United States regularly to play exhibition games in four sports for men and three for women, is aware its application isn't a sure thing, however. The last Mexican university that applied for NCAA membership, Monterrey Tech, was rejected in 2013.
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