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Don't Sign That NLI

Purple Pile Driver

Purple Pile Driver

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May 14, 2014
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Roquan Smith a recent commit to Georgia didn't sign his National Letter of Intent. Instead he opted to sign financial aid papers instead. Apparently, this gives him similar benefits without the restrictions that come with being locked into a school with the NLI. Can someone knowledgable in this subject explain it? Why wouldn't more top players do this? Would they need to have a full financial need to make this equivalent ? I assume there couldn't be any shenanigans with scholarship limits this way? There has to be some drawbacks for the recruit.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/georgia-coach-says-he-agrees-with-roquan-smith-decision-not-to-sign-an-nli-230718336.htmlhttp://
 
I would assume that financial aid papers put no onus upon the school to keep the player on the team so if he is injured or otherwise a limited contributor as a football player they don't have to be concerned about letting him go. Not that that really ever deterred programs without Northwestern's ethics anyway.

From the player's standpoint though, I guess if you are cocky enough as a high school player to think you are God's gift to mankind you probably don't even consider that you might not have the coaches begging to have you come back for the next year(s).



This post was edited on 2/17 11:08 PM by Alaskawildkat
 
It prevents a kid from being stuck in a situation where a key coach in his recruitment leaves after signing day and the NLI locks him in. (The background here is that the UCLA DC left to join the new Atlanta Falcons staff as linebackers coach.) It flips the power relationship, and would have prevented a situation like the OSU RB and the coach that left for the Bears.

The NLI as an institution benefits only the school by immediately subjecting the student to transfer rules. Smith was a top 100 recruit and had the power to wait because the space could be held. Your average two-star doesn't.

If I'm not mistaken, a recent top hoops recruit (Parker or Wiggins) never signed an NLI. I think it'll happen again in the future, but won't become a significant trend. The NLI is an institution with limited benefit, but it still is an institution...
 
Then it begs the question if a top 100 recruit should ever sigh the NLI. Even if they wash out on the field, it's likely some other program will take a shot that they can resurrect them. Most of the schools these guys select don't offer the guarantee of all 4 years anyway. Even if 4 years become standard, these guys will get picked up by someone just based on potential and wouldn't have to sit out the year, right?
 
I'd like to hear more on the rules. Wouldn't this make him more of a walk on? I would think this would give the school an extra scholarship but limit the student's access to football training table and things like that. Of course enforcement of the rules would require someone watching.
 
Originally posted by Purple Pile Driver:
Then it begs the question if a top 100 recruit should ever sigh the NLI. Even if they wash out on the field, it's likely some other program will take a shot that they can resurrect them. Most of the schools these guys select don't offer the guarantee of all 4 years anyway. Even if 4 years become standard, these guys will get picked up by someone just based on potential and wouldn't have to sit out the year, right?
Click to expand...
I think we need some input from 2 Star Champion Gladeskat here. How many of those top 100 recruits actually pan out? I am guessing at least 75%, but for the 25% who were overhyped it could be disastrous to join a program where there were no guarantees.
 
Originally posted by Alaskawildkat:

Originally posted by Purple Pile Driver:
Then it begs the question if a top 100 recruit should ever sigh the NLI. Even if they wash out on the field, it's likely some other program will take a shot that they can resurrect them. Most of the schools these guys select don't offer the guarantee of all 4 years anyway. Even if 4 years become standard, these guys will get picked up by someone just based on potential and wouldn't have to sit out the year, right?
Click to expand...
I think we need some input from 2 Star Champion Gladeskat here. How many of those top 100 recruits actually pan out? I am guessing at least 75%, but for the 25% who were overhyped it could be disastrous to join a program where there were no guarantees.
Click to expand...
What guarantees are in place for them now? You can sign the LOI and go to Cincinnati where Tuberville is coaching and be out on the street by winter. Same with many other programs. You have no guarantees...unless you choose a school like Indiana which has made scholarships a 4-year deal.
 
Originally posted by mpfeiler:
No LOI no schollie.
Click to expand...
True, but with "need based" being the mantra it hardly matters assuming the school (like Northwestern) has the resources to make sure every admitted student can make it through. A side issue though is that aid packages, unlike football "schollies," usually include loans and even student part-time work commitments. If a non-scholarship football player gets deferential treatment as an aid recipient that could open up the school to discriminatory challenges.

This post was edited on 2/21 1:37 AM by Alaskawildkat
 
I went to a small college that didn't have athletic scholarships. The football coach did however have access to academic scholarships designated for athletes with academic promise. So the coach could say, "I can't get you an athletic scholarship but take this test and we will see how you do." The test wasn't too difficult so essentially the coach had access to scholarships for a number of students each year.

There are ways to work the system.
 
Originally posted by mpfeiler:
No LOI no schollie.
Click to expand...
I don't believe that's the case. Not literally, anyway. The scholarship agreement is separate from the Letter of Intent. The scholarship agreement always accompanies the LOI, but the LOI is not necessary for a scholarship agreement. Most schools will be reluctant to offer a scholarship without the athlete signing the LOI because of the obligations that tie the athlete to the school that come with signing the LOI. Georgia is taking a risk in losing this athlete by giving him a financial scholarship without the LOI.
 
Originally posted by Deeringfish:
I went to a small college that didn't have athletic scholarships. The football coach did however have access to academic scholarships designated for athletes with academic promise. So the coach could say, "I can't get you an athletic scholarship but take this test and we will see how you do." The test wasn't too difficult so essentially the coach had access to scholarships for a number of students each year.

There are ways to work the system.
Click to expand...
You say small college. Your situation sounds like DIII, which as you mention has no "athletic" scholarships. Different situation as DI/FBS. And not only do you lose out on training table, but also preferred,scheduling and academic support as a non-scholarship athlete. Financial,aid may also not completely cover tuition,room, and board. Plus the stipend if living off campus.
 
Does the NCAA have any rules about football players on academic scholarships? How about football players who have no scholarship at all but get sweet jobs with supporters of the program? How about jobs with supporters who have no direct connection to the program and who don't contribute to it?
 
Originally posted by Seattle_Cat:
Does the NCAA have any rules about football players on academic scholarships? How about football players who have no scholarship at all but get sweet jobs with supporters of the program? How about jobs with supporters who have no direct connection to the program and who don't contribute to it?
Click to expand...

I'm sure that there are regulations against it.


Back in the 90's Greg Anthony at UNLV had a T-Shirt business. He felt he could make more money doing that then he would get on scholarship so he wanted to give back the scholarship. The NCAA wouldn't let him.
 
Back in the day (80's) everything's had to be run by the Athletic Department. Even in the non-revenue sport I participated in, it was highly monitored. At the time, there was a lot of investigation of sham jobs where big time athletes were alleged to be getting paid big salaries for doing very little. Sometimes not even showing up. A lot of these jobs were in the auto dealing business if I recall correctly. Most people didn't have the time to work at school, but even summer jobs were monitored.
 
Here's a funny story regarding football players and Summer jobs. Back in the early 90's I was looking at some furniture in Columbus. The sales person helped me out but I didn't have my checkbook (the days before debit cards) so I said I would come back tomorrow to buy the couch. I told the sales guy that I wanted to make sure he got credit so asked for his name.

He said, "Kent, just think Clark Kent"

Another sales guy interrupted and said, "Or you could think Kent Graham, do you know who that is?"

I answered, "I know who that is, I just don't know if he can play quarterback."

If the salesman who brought up Kent Graham's Name, side splitting laugh didn't clue me in, the red face and embarrassed smile of the salesman named Kent surely did.

At that point there wasn't much more for me to say other than,"Sorry, and good- luck this season."
 
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