here are the basics about the NLI

National Letter of Intent

By signing a National Letter of Intent, you are agreeing to attend a Division I or II school for one academic year. NLI member institutions agree to provide athletics financial aid to you for a minimum of one academic year as long as you are admitted to the school and are eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules.

The NLI is voluntary and not required for you to receive financial aid or participate in sports. Signing an NLI ends the recruiting process because coaches are prohibited from recruiting student-athletes who have signed NLIs with other NLI-member schools.

If you sign an NLI but decide to attend another college, you may request a release, but it is at the school’s discretion to grant your NLI release. If you sign an NLI with one school but attend a different school, you lose one full year of eligibility and must complete a full academic year at the new school before being eligible to compete. If you have questions about the NLI, visit nationalletter.org.