Why did Simon Fraser University, located in Vancouver, Canada, join the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rather than the similar Canadian organization, U Sports?

In short, it's all about the money.

The original SFU athletic program, dating back to the university's founding in 1965, competed against American schools. SFU initially played in the American-based National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for decades. When many of its NAIA rivals moved to the NCAA in the late 1990s, SFU considered the move to the NCAA to maintain them. Being part of the NCAA also has its monetary benefits, in terms of exposure, endorsements, and funding.

The NCAA allows member schools to offer "full-ride" scholarships that cover tuition, housing, and other university costs. U Sports has stricter limitations on athletic scholarship value (which only allow them to cover tuition), making the NCAA a major recruiting advantage for SFU to attract top Canadian and international athletes who might otherwise go to American schools. Again, more students means more money.

https://archives.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadian-varsity-teams-barred-from-joining-us-leagues/#:~:text=In%201997%2C%20however%2C%20many%20of,interest%20in%20joining%20that%20body.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sfu-ncaa-2017-1.4267951#:~:text=SFU%20played%20in%20the%20National,for%20its%20first%2036%20years.