Where did the name ivy league come from?

The Ivy League may refer to the NCAA designation of an athletic conference. But whether on not the term is used in that sense or to designate the eight institutions of higher education which were founded in the Colonial period, the schools are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale. When America was young and growing, Colonial leaders determined that opportunities for higher education should be made right here. This would permit students to avoid going overseas to attend schools, and would also open spots for students who would not have been able to go overseas to get a higher education. It took some time and cost some money, but it was worth it. We've got world-class universities here now.