NLI - Baseball vs Grants etc

quote:

Originally posted by nhmonty:
I have read all your posts on "no baseball money no NLI"

I was told by someone their son is receiving grants etc from DI school with guaranteed roster spot. He will get to compete for "baseball money" next year.

When talking with this person he confirmed his son received an NLI to sign.

Just thought I would bring it to the attention of those you said "no baseball money - no NLI"

There's a saying in medicine, when you hear hoofsteps, think horses, not zebras. Means look for the most obvious answer. I have seen a great many parents exaggerate when it comes to their sons. Just because someone says they got something, doesn't mean they did. I'm not casting aspersions, just drawing on some experience when I say that.

The other thing that could have happened, would be a document produced by the school, signifying their agreement for a roster spot in exchange for attendance. This is not uncommon and although not produced as an NLI, is meant to have the athlete participate in a signing.

There is no NLI without athletic aid.

quote:

Just thought I would bring it to the attention of those you said "no baseball money - no NLI

You should bring it to your friends attention. No BB money-No NLI. It's in the rules.

Financial Aid Requirement
Financial Aid Requirement. At the time I sign this NLI, I must receive a written offer of athletics financial aid for the entire 2010-11 academic year from the institution named in this document. The offer must list the terms and conditions of the athletics aid award, including the amount and duration of the financial aid. (A midyear football two-year college transfer student-athlete must receive a written offer of athletics financial aid for the remainder of the 2009-10 academic year.) In order for this NLI to be valid, my parent/legal guardian and I must sign the NLI and I must also sign the offer of athletics aid (see institutional policy for parent/legal guardian signature) prior to submission to the institution named in this document, and any other stated conditions must also be met. If the conditions stated on the financial aid offer are not met, this NLI shall be declared null and void.

Are you sure that the letter of intent is part of the National Letter of Intent program?

I just got the one our son signed today, two copies, one from NLI (almost like Roman numerals) and one from school that said Athletics Financial Aid Agreement.

I specifically asked him if his letter said NLI on it and he said yes. He was clear that the schools financial help was in the form of grants and academic money.

To me money is money, who cares what you call it. Why would he say he got an NLI and be open about getting grants and financial aide.

Could his letter just be from the school?

Grant only means money you do not have to pay back (can be anything) and the minimum of bb money can be as low as 1% combined with 24% to make the minimum of 25% (correct me if I am wrong 3FG).

He definetly got some bb bucks, perhaps they mean they meant he would get more bb money later on.

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There is a more "human" explaination...

It is certainly not common, but I have seen NLI's signed a few times for good schools with no baseball $ given. Maybe not right in the eys of some, definately null and void...but it is done by a few schools. Bear with me, I know it sounds wierd... but it goes something like this.....

If the conditions stated on the financial aid offer are not met, this NLI shall be declared null and void.

so withtout baseball $ offered specifically...it's All null and void...but still serves two important but uninforceable purposes....even without the baseball $...

First, For the ceremony...the sacred ritual baseball ceremony of a player off to college is spiritually sanctified...the family feels at some physical(a paper to touch and sign...and keep) and emotional level as if it has a return on their decade long emotional baseball investment...The son gets to sign before his friends. Everybody walks away happy. No harm done, everybody wins. The family CAN produce a signed NLI if asked.

Second, Notice for those who choose to recognize it...the school can produce, advertise, and claim a signed (UN-inforceeable document that engenders a purely gentlemans agreement between willing schools) saying that the player has comitted here and you will cease and desist, please...if you unilaterally agree to. (same as the normal NLI)

I think that is how it goes.

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1% baseball money, 24% other money? It depends. The D1 25% rule is concerned with countable money. Countable means any kind of financial aid which counts against the limit of 11.7 equivalencies. The label put on the money is not relevant. Certain kinds of aid are not countable; this includes Pell grants, scholarships available to anyone and demonstrably not related in any way to athletics, or scholarships funded outside of the college and which don't restrict the choice of college. Academic aid, provided the player meets the NCAA minimum requirements (1200 SAT, or 3.5 unweighted GPA, or top 10% of class) is also not countable.

If a player gets any countable aid (could be baseball money, or "academic" money awarded to a player who doesn't meet the minimums, some classes of need-based aid), even 1%, then he has to be awarded countable aid of at least 25% of an equvalency. So the school can't award 1% baseball money, and 24% of e.g. NCAA defined academic aid, or Pell grants, etc.

If the player is awarded any countable aid, it will cost the baseball program at least 0.25 against the 11.7 team limit.

I'm aware that some baseball programs have been suggesting some other interpretation, but the rule is very clear.
15.5.4.1 Minimum Equivalency Value. An institution shall provide each counter athletically related and other countable financial aid that is equal to or greater than 25 percent of an equivalency.

A "counter" is anyone who receives any countable aid.

One of 2B's teammates is having a signing ceremony tomorrow. He is going to a D2 on all academic money. What he will sign is an institutional letter of commitment, not an NLI. But he and his folks are very happy nonetheless.

quote:

Originally posted by 2Bmom:
One of 2B's teammates is having a signing ceremony tomorrow. He is going to a D2 on all academic money. What he will sign is an institutional letter of commitment, not an NLI. But he and his folks are very happy nonetheless.

as they should be...that's a heck of an accomplishment.

Thank you.

He is a fine young man, the kind of older friend and teammate you want your son to have, and he worked very hard for this. What is even more amazing is that he is a 3-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball).

2B will miss him next year.

We see many pictures in the local paper of student "letter signings" where no sports money is involved...

RM,

How would you know there is no "sports money" associated with the student signings in local paper? I've never read an article which mentioned specific $$ amounts that a kid recieved for signing NLI. If I did, that is the first bit of info I wouldn't believe.

Some have been to DIII's and some I have known personally (small town)

"Sports money" is only a D1 or D2 phenomenon.

Right; my point is that the letters signed are not always NLIs, but the "letters of commitment" that 2BMom was referring to.

Call it what you want. Hey I can remember in "T" ball where a kid showed up wearing wool mittens in July --- his mother told me they were his "batting gloves".

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Hmmm...."Batting" gloves...?

His last name wasn't Genobli? Was it?

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Some schools offer recruited walk-ons what they call an Athletic Letter of Intent which describes said players responsibility regarding academic standards and behavior of student athletes etc. Obviously it's not a binding agreement. Neither the school nor the student athlete are committing to anything. But it does give the kid who has committed to the school something to sign and a sense of comfort & accomplishment.