Prep Baseball Report

Another Look: The National Letter of Intent


Brandon Hall
North Carolina Director of Scouting

The late signing period is upon the seniors in the 2018 class.  The actual dates of the late signing period run from April 11 – August 1.  The signing period is referencing a prospective student-athlete’s time frame to sign their National Letter of Intent to the 4-year college or university of their choosing.  The signing of an NLI has become a rite of passage for athletes across the country.  High schools, club teams, and families throw parties to celebrate the next step in their athlete’s process. 

There are some things about the NLI all student-athletes should know as it is voluntary and it does carry a penalty if the agreement reached in the signed document is not fulfilled.  This past fall, we took a full look at the process and what it means to commit and what it means to sign.  Today, with the spring dates arriving, we are going to take another look at the NLI, what it does, and some of the rules surrounding the signing of the NLI.  

The National Letter of Intent

From the NCAA’s website, the National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a, “voluntary program governed by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and administered by the NCAA.  By signing an NLI, the college bound student-athlete agrees to attend the college or university for one academic year.”  The NLI is only binding when accompanied by a financial aid agreement from the school as well.  When both forms are signed by the player and school, then the player and school have entered into a binding agreement.

Should a player decide, after signing, that he does not want to fulfill the NLI, there are some options.

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