It is my understanding, after talking with a D1 program's compliance officer, that the NCAA prohibits programs from issuing any sort of document that would "bind" a non-athletic money recruit to its school. No documents can be issued, even symbolic LOI's to be used only for a signing day ceremony. This is because, as shortstopmom put it, the athlete is free to walk away from a non-athletic money offer without any ramifications, even if the school offers the athlete other types of monies to play (academic scholarship, leadership scholarship, etc.). Without an NLI (National Letter of Intent), a program has no "hold" over a recruit and if he receives a better offer from another program before the first day of class, he is free to accept it.