A National Letter of Intent (NLI) is an agreement between a prospective student-athlete and a member institution that binds both parties to a one-year agreement.  The student-athlete agrees to attend an institution full-time for one academic year and the institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid to the student-athlete for one academic year.  Because of this agreement, an institutional financial aid offer must accompany a NLI.  Once a student-athlete signs a NLI, the recruiting ban comes into effect.  At this time, other institutions must respect the NLI signing and cease recruitment of the student-athlete.  Once the student-athlete enrolls at the signing institution, the recruiting ban is lifted and NCAA recruiting legislation applies.

Once a student-athlete signs a NLI and returns it to the signing institution, the institution must file it with their conference office within 21 days for validation.  A NLI can be declared null and void if the student-athlete is denied admission, does not meet initial eligibility requirements, does not enroll at a NLI institution for at least one academic year and the scholarship is no longer available, if the student-athlete’s sport is discontinued, or if the student-athletes serves in the U.S. Armed Forces or Church Mission for 12 months.  A student-athlete also has the option to have his or her NLI declared null and void if a rules violation on behalf of the signing institution results in the need for student-athlete eligibility reinstatement.  If a NLI is declared null and void, then the student-athlete is not permitted to sign another NLI until the following signing year.

The basic penalty for a student-athlete who does not fulfill the NLI agreement is to sit one year in residence at the next NLI member institution and to lose one season of competition.  However, a student-athlete can ask to be released from his or her NLI agreement.  If the signing institution agrees to release the student-athlete, then the penalties do not apply, but the student-athlete will not be allowed to sign another NLI during the same signing period.  There is also an appeals process available through the NCAA for student-athletes whose release requests are denied.


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