What about before that? How did it become so famous throughout the world? In February 1954, what is more commonly accepted as the founding date for the Ivy League, the Ivy Group Agreement was changed and extended into all sports and to help intra-group competition. OK, so the basic intent of the original Ivy Agreement was to improve and help college athletics, but not interfering with the real purpose of universities, which of course is education. You've got it! To be honest, it comes from the American obsession with competition in both sports and learning. Ivy League members must be exceptional people. They have a rare spirit of competition and excellence. Ivy League teams have won many competitions over the years. And the spectators love them, too. Watching an Ivy League game is wonderful, whether it's fencing, cross-country running, American football, basketball or lacrosse. They even have a golf team, at Yale University. What's that shield on your shirt? It looks familiar. Just one of the many Ivy League shields, I went to Columbia University, so I'm a real Ivy-Leaguer.