TR,..perhaps RYNO did look it up, ( as did I ) and still had questions about the interpretation(s). (?)
I originally thought I knew the answer and started to post to him, but as I dug deeper into the definitions from Wickpedia and the NCAA site, they became kind of intertwined and somewhat confusing.
You presented the link for LOI from Wickpedia, but not the link from Wickpedia for NLI, so here it is for those who are curious:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Letter_of_IntentIt is my understanding that an LOI is binding. ( but to whom? The university & the athlete? The NCAA too? Both? Neither? All three? )
From Wickpedia:
quote:
The program forbids a prospective student athlete (PSA) from being recruited after signing an LOI; because LOIs are binding, an athlete's decision to sign marks the end of the recruiting process.
More from Wickpedia:
" A letter of intent or LOI is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties
before the agreement is finalized. "
The legal purposes of an LOI may be:
- to clarify the key points of a complex transaction for the convenience of the parties
- to declare officially that the parties are currently negotiating, as in a merger or joint venture proposal
- to provide safeguards in case a deal collapses during negotiation
The
National
Letter of
Intent program is administered
jointly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Collegiate Commissioners Association to regulate the recruitment of high school athletes into collegiate athletic programs.
I guess some colleges require a LOI to be signed BEFORE a NLI ( which I'm guessing is the only official document recognized by the NCAA between all three parties.- ?? ) is signed.
I'm curious to know how standard this procedure is. Do many colleges require a LOI? Perhaps others will know.
My son was not asked to sign a LOI. Only a NLI. If he had been, I would have wanted specific clarification.
I understand why RYNO asked his question.