When the Ivy League was officially created in 1954, a governing body was put in place to determine and establish the rules and regulations of the League. This group, originally known as the President's Policy Committee, was staffed by the presidents of the eight Ivy League institutions, and was responsible for the original guidelines that the Ivy League followed from its existence.
Today, the council, now known as the Council of Ivy Presidents, continues to run the Ivy League, setting up academic regulations and creating different committees responsible for all athletic aspects of the Ivies. It was this council that created the first rules in regards to academic eligibility, and also allowed the admittance of women into Ivy athletics. The presidents were also responsible for the Ivy League's Statement of Principles, which set the basic guidelines for admissions, financial aid, and athletics for all eight Ivies.
The Council, besides being comprised with the eight Ivy presidents, is run by an Executive Director who is in charge of virtually all Ivy decisions, currently Jeff Orleans. The Council of Ivy Presidents primarily concerns itself with academic eligibility rules, as well as determining and updating the standards that all Ivy League universities must follow in academics and athletics.
