Overview: National Letter of Intent

[ifyousayso]

Overview: What is the National Letter of Intent (NLI)?
The Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) administers the National Letter of Intent program. Started in 1964 with seven conferences and eight independent institutions, the program now includes 55 leagues with more than 500 participating institutions.

The National Letter of Intent program originally called for a prospective student-athlete to sign an "Inter-Conference Letter of Intent" on a specific date

http://www.national-letter.org/overview/


<CENTER>Signing Dates for the 2008-2009 Academic Year
Do not sign prior to 7:00 a.m. (local time) on the following
dates or after the final signing date listed for each sport. </CENTER><!-- BEGIN DATES SUB-TABLE --><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#999999 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=4 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=normal>Sport</TD><TD class=normal>Initial Signing Date</TD><TD class=normal>Final Signing Date</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>Basketball (Early Period)</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>November 14, 2007</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>November 21, 2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>Basketball (Regular Period)</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>April 16, 2008</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>May 21, 2008</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>Football (Midyear JC Transfer)</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>December 19, 2007</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>January 15, 2008</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>Football (Regular Period)</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>February 6, 2008</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>April 1, 2008</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>Field Hockey, Soccer, Men's Water Polo*</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>February 6, 2008</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>August 1, 2008</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>All Other Sports(Early Period)</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>November 14, 2007</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>November 21, 2007</TD></TR><TR><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>All Other Sports(Regular Period)</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>April 9, 2008</TD><TD class=normal vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee>August 1, 2008</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
* - These sports do not have an early signing period.



Actual Text of the NLI goes like this:

http://www.national-letter.org/guidelines/nli_text.php

[asiancoach]

Oh knowedgeable one, what are the parameters/rules advatages/disadvantages of verbal commitments. Does a player verbaling mean that the school is offerring?

[ifyousayso]

Not sure what Oh Knowledgeable One thinks, but I can give you my take on verbal committments.

A Verbal Commitment is when a player has been offered a scholarship and decides to announce a school prior to the signing period. This verbal allows the player to secure the scholarship offer as some schools offer to more than one player for the same scholarship and it is first come first serve in some cases...not all...especially the elite players. The elite players will have that scholarship up until they commit to someone else.

For the school the verbal commitment is one that allows the school to best strategize their recruiting efforts.

Some players that are underexposed may verbal early to a school that although at the time seems GREAT...the players career blows up and they have taken themselves off the market for what might have been other offers that could have been a better option.

[asiancoach]

Thanks, so are you saying that if a 7th or 8th grader verbal commits that she has been offered a scholarship?

[ifyousayso]

In theory yes. Since the College Coach is not allowed to publicly comment on verbal commitments, due to the fact that until they sign an NLI it is not "official" - yet it is honored. One can only trust and believe the 7th/8th graders' understanding of what a verbal commitment is and if indeed they have done so.

[asiancoach]

Thanks, last question, does it look unfavorable or can the player or school back out of the verbal or NLI or is there an obligation to abide unless there are so unforseen circumstances. I understand the history somewhat on why it came to be but never followed the process.

[ifyousayso]

The way I think the process works is that with a verbal commitment the player really has the upperhand when it come to changing their mind.

While a school can elect to back out as well, there needs to be some type of outstanding change from when the offer was made...injury, grades, etc. if not the school risks setting a precedent where other recruits might question their sincerity on offers.

Think of it as an engagement(verbal) and marriage(NLI)