Boy, I am not at all sure this is a positive development.
Agree . . .
D3 "commitments," especially those linked to early decision, are already heavily stacked in favor of the institution. They impose zero costs, consequences, or constraints on the school, but they take the athlete off everyone else's recruiting board. The coach may promise a roster spot, but that costs him exactly nothing because he doesn't have a roster limit.
The NLI does NOTHING for the athlete. The money is offered and accepted in the accompanying grant in aid form. All the NLI does is bind the athlete to the school and the transfer rules. I don't know what a "non-binding" NLI would say.
I understand why the schools would want this, but I have no idea why prospective D3 athletes would want NLI's.