Administrative Guidelines and Interpretations 15 National Letter of Intent
www.nationalletter.org
@NLIinsider
Rev. 9/2023
MIDYEAR FOOTBALL TRANSFER STUDENT-ATHLETES: A midyear two-year college football
transfer student-athlete who fails to graduate from a two-year college would maintain a valid NLI
provided they were a Division I qualifier or a Division II transfer student-athlete.
DIVISION I TWO-YEAR COLLEGE TRANSFER, NONQUALIFIER: A Division I 2-4 transfer
student-athlete, nonqualifier, in his or her first year of enrollment at a two-year college who signs an NLI
would not meet the NCAA requirement to receive athletics aid for the following term of enrollment at an
NLI member institution. Thus, the NLI would be deemed invalid by the conference office.
ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:
NLI POLICY VIOLATIONS: Any NLI policy violations must be reported to the NLI office through
the NLI Portal, not through RSRO. Facts associated with the violation can be submitted through the NLI
Portal. Examples of NLI violations are: NLI recruiting ban or signing of four-year college transfers. Once
the facts are reviewed, the institution will receive notification of the violation and any corrective actions.
COMPETITION WHILE SERVING THE NLI PENALTY: An institution is not permitted to have a
student-athlete participate in competition while serving the NLI penalty. Once the NLI office is aware of
the NLI violation of competing while serving the NLI penalty, the institution will receive a request from
the Committee for the institution’s explanation. Based on the facts, the Committee has the authority to
suspend NLI signings for the upcoming signing period in that institution’s respective sport. The penalty
will not result in vacating wins and will not require student-athlete reinstatement. The student-athlete will
be withheld from competition to continue serving the NLI penalty. Additionally, the institution will be
fined $500 and issued a letter of reprimand.
ANNUAL INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT: Each NLI member institution is required to file with
its conference office on an annual basis a copy of the NLI Institutional Commitment form. The document
must be signed and dated by the institution's director of athletics prior to submission to the conference
office.
DELIVERY OF THE NLI: Per NCAA Divisions I and II rules, any in-person, off-campus contact
made by an institution's athletics department personnel with a prospective student-athlete for the purposes
of signing an NLI or attendance at activities related to the signing of an NLI, shall be prohibited. Further,
per NCAA Divisions I and II rules, in-person, off-campus delivery of an NLI by an institutional staff
member shall be prohibited. It is permissible for on-campus delivery and/or receipt of an NLI during an
official or unofficial visit provided it is not a recruiting dead period and all other applicable NCAA rules
are followed. The NLI may be delivered and/or received by express mail, courier service, regular mail,
fax, electronic mail or mobile application.
NO ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS ALLOWED TO NLI: No additions, deletions or modifications
shall be made to the NLI or the Release Request form.
NULLIFICATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS: The prospective student-athlete's signature on the
NLI nullifies any agreements, oral or otherwise, which would release him or her from the conditions
stated within the NLI.
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS: The NLI is in full force and effect for a period of four years,
commencing with the date of the prospective student-athlete's signature on the NLI. Therefore, if a
prospective student-athlete is subject to the NLI penalty, once four years has elapsed and the signee has
not enrolled at an NLI member institution, the NLI is no longer binding. For example, an NLI signed on
May 1, 2024, would expire on May 2, 2028, so the prospective student-athlete would not be subject to the
NLI penalty after the elapsed four years.