How the Ivy League Became More Than College Sports #ivyleague #harvard #yale #princeton #collegeapps

Did you know the Ivy League is actually an NCAA athletic conference?

Most people think the term “Ivy League” means a ranking. It started as a sports term.

The phrase began appearing in sports journalism in the 1930s, when reporters used it to describe the football rivalries between older Northeastern colleges. These campuses were known for ivy growing along their brick and stone buildings, and that visual became closely associated with the schools. Over time, the nickname stuck.

The Ivy League became an official conference in 1954, when the presidents of the eight schools created a formal agreement to manage athletics, starting with football. One reason for that agreement was to protect academic priorities as college sports were becoming more commercialized.

One important difference is that Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships. They recruit athletes, but they award financial aid based on need, not athletic ability. That policy still separates them from many other Division I programs.

The eight Ivy League schools are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell.

Knowing what the Ivy League actually is helps families understand what the label really means, and how it fits into the college process. If you want help comparing these schools to other highly selective colleges, reach out.

Let College Help Squad be part of your process.