The National Letter of Intent (NLI) program is undergoing multiple changes beginning with the class of 2024, according to The Athletic. High school prospects sign their NLI at the end of each recruiting cycle as a means of officially joining whichever athletics program they choose and into which are accepted.
Typically, there are penalties for breaking a NLI without a being granted a complete release from the institution. However, the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which has overseen NLI for almost 60 years, is implementing several adjustments that will go into affect during the 2024-25 recruiting period. The changes reportedly include the following:
- No NLI penalty if the signee requests their release as the result of a head coaching change.
- No NLI penalty if the signee completes at least one academic semester or quarter at the institution of their choice.
- Additionally, four-year transfers will be able to sign a NLI after entering the transfer portal. This is not a requirement to transfer, signing a NLI would trigger a recruiting ban, meaning other schools would not be allowed to make contact once the player has signed with an institution.
A prospect incurs a NLI penalty if they request their release beyond the circumstances listed above, and that release is not granted by the institution with which they signed. In that event, the athlete will have to sit out of one year of competition and must complete one year of residency at their next institution.
The changes to the high school recruiting process are in line with how the NCAA deals with the transfer portal. In 2021, new mandates allowed athletes to enter the portal and transfer to a new institution once without seeking a waiver for immediate eligibility. Athletes are also allowed to seek a waiver for immediate eligibility at a new school following a coaching change, regardless of how many times they transferred in the past.
