For generations, the term Ivy League has evoked far more than the image of historic campuses draped in green ivy. It carries with it the weight of intellectual excellence, a lineage of political and business leadership, and the allure of belonging to a rarefied circle of influence. To many students worldwide, these eight schools represent the pinnacle of academic aspiration, a passport to both prestige and opportunity. Yet the Ivy League was never born as a marker of intellectual supremacy. Its foundations lay in athletics, formalized in the mid-20th century to balance scholarly commitments with sporting competition. What began as a practical arrangement among university presidents evolved into a cultural brand whose resonance now stretches across continents. Today, the Ivies are not j

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