National Letter of Intent Question

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If a high school athlete signs early (November) for say softball, then is offered a scholarship for basketball in the spring from a diffferent school, can they then sign for basketball or are they stuck with the original NLI? Can other schools recruit an athlete that has signed for one sport but they are recruiting for a different sport?

I realize different levels have different rules, but I'm talking about mainly NCAA rules. I realize the athlete can ask to be let out of an NLI (I wouldn't recommend that). I was just curious what the rules are for the schools.

 

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First in case there is a question of an actual NLI: 616 NCAA Division I and II institutions are members.Not NLI members:Ivy League, Service Academies, Division III institutions,
NAIA institutions, preparatory schools and junior colleges. I have found 4 Div III schools that are members through my investigation of the NLI program when I went through it.

the NLI is a contract to attend that institution on a scholarship. The sport you play as far as I know doesnt matter. If the tOSU offers your daughter a softball scholarship, but so does the basketball team at a later date and you have already signed a NLI to attend tOSU you can play basketball. Now if tOSU offers a softball scholarship and you sign your NLI and meanwhile you get a basketball offer from Kent State, unless you dont enroll in tOSU or withdrawl from tOSU within a specfic date AND are released from your NLI, you cant decide after signing a NLI to attend Kent State unless you sit out a year. The NLI is void if you dont enroll in that college within a year. Once a school knows you have signed your NLI your suppose to be off limits to recruiting.

I did my research as my daughter went through this for softball, I am by no means an expert and I am sure you will get more insightful knowledge from pros on here, but this is how I understood it last year as I went through it.

Hope I didnt steer you way wrong and if I'm wrong feel free to correct me lol.

Good Luck!

 

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Pretty sure if you sign early in one sport it automatically requires you to have to sit out if you change sports. At least that was the case with my son. He signed early in baseball then was unable to be eligible to play football as a freshman in college at the same school. If he would have waited until the feb. signing period he could have play football as a freshman as well. This is at the D1 level.

 

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The rules are different for each division. This is complicated and not something you should seek an answer for on a forum. Just saying. You, or whomever, should speak directly to a compliance officer at one of the schools in question. Otherwise, you are jeopardizing the athlete's eligibility.

 

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Why would any athlete do such a thing?? Ever hear of Commitment!!

 

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Maybe there was a big difference in $$$. Not unusual for athletes to request to be released from an NLI. Not any different than asking for a release to transfer. Or a coach taking a different job after they recruited a kid.

 

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First, thanks for the answers and discussion. Second, I should clarify I do not have a child that is currently going through this scenario. My daughter was signed, sealed and delivered fall of 2008. I was just curious as I know there are a lot of multi sport athletes out there and at what point do they narrow it down. I guess if you are completely sure and are offered in November then sign. If you are not sure and the possibility exists at another sport then wait until spring. Big decisions for young people. My curiousity and thinking goes crazy in mid winter and no softball. Thanks.