What does “old traditions” in the last sentence of the passage refer to?

A.Most of the north-eastern institutions were set up for both male and female students.

B.Most of the north-eastern institutions enrolled only men students or women students before the 1960s.

C.A lot of institutions in the north-east refused to enroll more students before the 1960s.

D.Many institutions in the north-east have the same reputation as Harvard or Yale.