D3 recruits may be able to sign commitment letters soon.

Thanks fenway, this helps.  I wasn't thinking of the timeline issue and how this plays into things.

RJM,

I've helped many folks with both Ivy and NESCAC baseball recruiting over the last 5 years.  My son was recruited & offered by schools in these conferences as well as some mid-level D1s.  My opinion is based on what I've seen & heard and what others have shared with me.  I think there are a couple different scenarios that play out every year with regards to specific candidates considering Ivy and NESCAC schools.  There is very little difference between Ivy and NESCAC candidates academically.   I do think there is significantly deeper baseball talent on almost all Ivy rosters, and I think the Ivys get first choice when it comes to most of these baseball recruits.  Most of the NESCAC schools offer an Early Decision 2 which works out well for them in terms of (possibly) picking up additional qualfified recruits that didn't work out elsewhere.  I also believe there are a lot of folks who genuinely believe a Liberal Arts College is the best place for them academically so they prefer the smaller college NESCAC experience.   Again, JMO and experience..

PS...I really admire the way both of these conference make athletics a part of the student experience.  In my mind, the NCAA could learn alot from both the Ivy and NESCAC folks.  I know my son would have been happy with either choice. 

I'm not sure how this changes anything.  Many D-3 players have signing ceremonies already.  So, the NCAA is authorizing them to sign a blank NLI...errrr...ceremonial document?  One would think the NCAA has bigger problems to address.

Fenway, could you comment on how/if Patriot League teams relate to your comments about Ivy and NESCAS recruiting?

Currently at the signing ceremony, if a HS includes D3 recruits, the recruits are signing a blank piece of paper or an acceptance of their Merit scholarship awards. In most cases it is a blank piece of paper. 

This proposal would change that to a Non binding form congratulating the student on being chosen and selecting to move on and play at a D3 institution. 

For baseball this would effect few athletes as their are not many D3 baseball players who have committed at the Early signing period. 

From the NCAA's point of view it is providing Publicity for D3. Here is a post from HTTPS://D#boards.com, by Dave McHugh

quote:

Several thoughts... I first talked about this on my trip to Indy and those at the office were very enthusiastic about this. They see it as a chance for Division III to get some headlines. Instead of the D1 and DIIs getting all of the attention when a student-athlete chooses where they are going to college. This can also be a cool story for small, local entities. All of the sudden one of the town's favorite players has a story about them going to a college with pictures and everything. Also, the press will get information about Division III at the event and thus the ideals of Division III can be spread out a bit more to people who may not be as familiar as the rest of us.

Secondly, the non-binding part is great. Sure, it doesn't mean they have to go to the school, but when those signing at the DIs and DIIs of the world they are actually signing important legal documents. It takes on a whole different meaning. Now, to the point that they can still go somewhere else, sure... but I don't think student-athletes are going to "sign a paper" unless they have actually made their decision on a school. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to them either.

And then this: why not celebrate our student-athletes in more ways. Some of these individuals are incredible students, people, and athletes. They don't get the attention they deserve. This can be a way, even on a small media level, that allows them to be celebrated while also celebrating the division. I love this idea and hope it only helps raise more awareness for Division III and the student-athletes that make it great.

I keep waffling on this proposal.

"And then this: why not celebrate our student-athletes in more ways. Some of these individuals are incredible students, people, and athletes. They don't get the attention they deserve. This can be a way, even on a small media level, that allows them to be celebrated while also celebrating the division. I love this idea and hope it only helps raise more awareness for Division III and the student-athletes that make it great."

By comparison, how much awareness does the NCAA generate about the D3 CWS champion,  the D3 All-American team or those who get drafted and graduate in 4 years from the D3 level?  I am having trouble with the concept of "celebrating" or "recognizing" those on the way in when there is so little time, effort or media for those who are actually competing on the field and in the classrooms of D3 schools. 

This does not even consider the fact that more than a few won't end up playing by their sophomore year and some earlier than that.

I am just not comfortable that this is what D3 is about or should be about, but then again I am not overly fond of the NLI at any level.

To update this thread, 72% of the NCAA Division III membership voted this past weekend at the annual NCAA Convention to approve the use of a "non-binding standardized celebratory form" after the prospect has been accepted to a Division III institution.  While the use of the form will be optional, only the standardized form provided by the NCAA will be permissible. 

The other point that I think is very interesting, is that it can be used at any time after August 1, 2015 (when the rule change becomes effective) as long as the prospect has been accepted for enrollment to the college.  While the form will be standardized, there is no standard "signing date or signing period" for the use of this form.  I predict that will be changed at a future NCAA Convention, if not before. 

Yay!  Everyone gets a trophy!

LOL actually maybe the top 5% get a trophy but still funny.

So most D3 athletes who do not go Early action or Early Decision will not be able to use this form until they get an acceptance from the school. I know regular decision comes after the early NLI, so regular decision candidates wont be crashing the NLI party. Early Decision and early action, when do they come out before the early signing or after? 

This will be SO MUCH better than signing the blank piece of paper. <sarcasm>

What does it matter?  As long at the college tweets that they've signed "Johnny Baseball" and PerfectGame re-tweets, it's all good!

That's all the kids are looking at anyway.....

My son's NLI was signed in spring of his senior year. He agreed to it and when he recieved it we all (parents and him) signed an returned it. There was,also, a young man on his HS team that did same in March for a D2. About a week after my son signed they had a ceremony signing for those 2 boys. On the table was blank papers and the boys pretended to sign them. We celebrated his signing (which meant he had decided where to attend college) as a family the evening he actually signed. Same happened for his teammate, I believe. The ceremony was for the school so it could go on thier website. It was over in 10 minutes. Line up, parents behind, smile, take a picture. shake hands,

Not sure why the ceremony is so important to some, but to each thier own on how you celebrate. no wrong way IMO. So if the D3 want to sign a blank papaer or something else not much difference.