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What is the National Letter of Intent?

The NLI is a voluntary program with regard to both institutions and student-athletes. No prospective student-athlete (PSA) or parent is required to sign the NLI and no institution is required to join the program.
The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution.

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Who issues the NLI?

NCAA DI & DII - An NLI must be accompanied by an athletics aid agreement so only NCAA Division I and II institutions can issue a NLI.

NCAA Division III - Institutions are permitted to use a standard, NCAA provided, non-binding celebratory signing form. A college-bound student-athlete is permitted to sign the celebratory signing form at any point, including high school signing events, after the student-athlete has been accepted to the institution.

NAIA - Prospective students can make written or verbal commitments to attend and participate in athletics at an NAIA member institution. An institution is free to develop and implement its own process for obtaining commitments from a prospective student. These methods can include, but are not limited to, formal financial aid agreements, signed estimated offers of financial aid and athletic letters of intent.

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Who signs the NLI?

Who Can Sign: Prospective student-athletes entering a four-year institution for the first time as full time students.

High school Seniors
Junior college transfers

*If a PSA reclassifies her graduation year (e.g., junior to senior), the PSA can sign during the NLI signing period prior to the upcoming fall enrollment.

Requirements to Sign:

Register with NCAA Eligibility Center
Complete the amateurism certification questionnaire administered by the NCAA Eligibility Center (DI)
Submit transcript to institution (DII)

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NLI Signing Dates

NCAA Division III - A college-bound student-athlete is permitted to sign the celebratory signing form at any point, including high school signing events, after the student-athlete has been accepted to the institution.
NAIA - An institution is free to develop and implement its own process for obtaining commitments from a prospective student.

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Athletic Scholarships

NCAA Division I – permitted to award multi-year athletic scholarships, however, to sign a NLI, there must be athletic aid awarded in the same year as the NLI.

Mid-year Signees – a PSA entering a DI institution could sign an athletic aid agreement that begins mid-year, however, the NLI won’t begin until the following fall term.

DII cannot award athletic aid in the Spring term following the PSA’s high school graduation

Correct:

2022-23: $10,000
2023-24: $10,000
2024-25: $0
2025-26: $0

Incorrect:
2022-23: $0
2023-24: $0
2024-25: $10,000
2025-26: $10,000

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Signing Deadline

The PSA must sign the NLI and athletics aid agreement within 7 days of the date of issuance (will be on the agreement).

The 7 day deadline only applies if there are 7 days remaining for the signing period.

The institution has 14 days to submit the signed agreement for validation.

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Required Signatures

A PSA’s parent/legal guardian must cosign the NLI with the PSA if she has not reached the age of 21.
Both the PSA and parent/legal guardian do NOT need to sign the agreement on the same day but do need to sign within the 7 day signing deadline (otherwise the agreement is invalid).
Cosigned Request: If PSA’s parent/legal guardian is not available to sign, it is permissible for another individual to sign the NLI with the PSA.

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Admissions/ Eligibility/ Conduct Requirements

Admissions: If a PSA is denied admission to the signing institution, the NLI shall be declared null and void. There must be documentation substantiating the denial of admission before an NLI is considered null and void.

The PSA must be informed in writing by the signing institution of the status of her admissions.

Eligibility: If a PSA does not meet NCAA initial eligibility requirements, conference or institutional requirements for athletics financial aid, the NLI shall be declared null and void by the opening of classes for the fall term.

Conduct: If a NLI signee is engaged in misconduct or criminal activities warranting the cancellation of athletics aid, per the conditions written in the agreement, the NLI would be declared null and void upon cancellation of the athletics aid.

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Recruiting Ban

Once a PSA signs an NLI, all NLI member institutions and conferences must cease contact with the NLI signee and her family members. Any contact more than an exchange of a greeting would result in a violation.

Siblings – if a sibling of an NLI signee is also a PSA, all communication by other coaches recruiting the sibling must be specific to the sibling and not the NLI signee.

Complimentary Admissions – a PSA cannot receive complimentary admissions from any institution other than their signing institution following the date they signed a NLI

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Standard Penalty

A PSA must satisfy the terms of the NLI by attending the signing institution for at least one academic year (i.e., two semesters or three questers) as a full-time student or by graduating from a two-year college (if PSA signed prior to two-year college enrollment and attends two-year college instead of signing institution).
Penalty: If a PSA does not fulfill the enrollment terms of the NLI then she may NOT represent the second institution in intercollegiate athletics competition until completing one academic year in residence. Additionally, the PSA will lose one season of competition in all sports.

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Release Requests

An NLI release request must be initiated by the NLI signee by submitting the NLI Release Request located on the NLI website.

Use the same login as the NCAA Eligibility Center

Once a NLI signee submits an NLI release request online, the NLI recruiting ban will be lifted allowing a signee to communicate with other coaches
Options:

Complete Release
No Release

Appeals – PSA may appeal

within 30 days of decision

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Resources!

Www.EligibilityCenter.org
www.nationalletter.org
Quick Reference Guide to the NLI
Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete
www.carondeleths.org/athletics

Click “College Recruitment Resources” in the red box