NCAA to substitute National Letter of Intent with financial aid, rev share

The National Letter of Intent (NLI) was eliminated by the NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday morning, ending a program that started in 1964. According to a document obtained by On3, the NLI will be replaced by a new financial aid agreement and revenue share contract.

Most importantly, recruits are prohibited from signing more than one valid aid agreement. The school’s athletic compliance office will designate the signed status in NCAA applications. Communication must stop when a signed recruit or any individual associated with the athlete, according to the document obtained by On3.

This means when the athlete signs with an institution, recruiting must stop. The document also outlines that coaches are prohibited from in-person contact with a recruit on the day a written commitment is signed. Coaches still cannot attend a signing day event in person. Similar to current rules, signing dates will not apply to four-year transfers, who must enter the NCAA’s transfer portal to sign scholarships.

The first signing date is set for Nov. 13 for all sports, except football. College football’s early signing period was moved up this year from mid-December to the week before conference championship games. Early National Signing Day is slated for Wednesday, Dec. 4. February’s National Signing Day is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

The decision to eliminate the NLI comes as the NCAA undergoes its most seismic changes to date. The House v. NCAA settlement would permit schools to pay athletes more than $20 million annually, spurring the NCAA and its leaders to rethink their amateurism rules.

The House v. NCAA settlement is on track to begin with the 2025-26 academic year. The new binding documents between a school and athlete are needed with revenue sharing, which spurred the elimination of the NLI. The new financial aid agreement and revenue share contract will serve that purpose.