Didn’t these schools exist before the Ivy League designation? If so, didn’t they evolve into a sporting league situation? Perhaps it’s time to evolve out of a sporting league? This is @zobrward’s question. The standard response is to dismiss the question in the same manner that questions about Jews or Asians not being admitted to Ivy League schools are dismissed.
Most colleges would be better off without varsity sports, as would most high schools. For every high-powered college/high school sports team there are a lot of low level teams that exist just to get pounded and pad someone else’s sporting resume. For instance, look at the colleges that agree to play powerhouse teams for the fee that it commands just to give the better team a higher level scrimmage and inflate their winning record. Getting pounded by a obviously superior opponent doesn’t build character. On the contrary, it creates an antagonistic situation that could develop into a confrontational situation later on; often with destructive consequences.
I’m all in favor of sports but do it on your own dime. Colleges should not be farm systems for the various professional and/or olympic sports.