Black Ivy League institutions as being "Howard University, Hampton University, Spelman College, Fisk University, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University and Dillard University." The "North Star" News described "Howard, Fisk, Hampton, Morehouse, Morgan, Tuskegee, and Cheyney ... as the equivalent of a Black Ivy League." Lincoln University in Pennsylvania has also been mentioned as being included in the group. In 1976, the "Chicago Tribune" included "Morehouse, Atlanta University, Morris Brown, Gannon, Clark and Spelman..." The actual Ivy League is an eight-member athletic conference. At one point in history, some of these institutions debated forming a Black Ivy League athletic conference without reaching an agreement. Although
Black Ivy League agreement as to which schools are included in the "Black Ivy League", and sources list different possible members. The 1984 book "Blacks in Colleges" by Dr. Jacqueline Fleming, states that "... schools that make up the 'Black Ivy league' [include] Fisk, Morehouse, Spelman, Dillard, Howard, Clark Atlanta, Hampton, Tuskegee." Fleming further notes that, "[t]he presence of Black Ivy League colleges pull the best and most privileged black students... [A]ll seven are unique schools, with little overlap among them." Bill Maxwell, in a 2003 series on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), coincides with Fleming in describing the Black Ivy League