Holland College is leading a fight against caps on the number of international athletes that can play on varsity soccer, basketball and volleyball teams.

Under long-standing Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association rules, five out of every six athletes must be Canadian-born.

College officials have written the federal minister of Canadian Heritage James Moore, asking him to intervene.

Michael O'Grady is a vice president of Holland College.

"We're at the point now, with a growing international student population, of facing the situation which I think is actually quite embarrassing, of telling them, yes, we want you here on our campus," O'Grady said.

"But the opportunities for you to participate fully as a student athlete are actually limited."

He says the letter was sent to the federal minister in January, but the college hasn't received a response.