The end of Letters of Intent

DeepSnap

DeepSnap

GT Athlete
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Back to the Future.......

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was a regional/conference LOI date, usually in Dec or Jan, with a National LOI date in the spring. Just because a kid signed in Dec did not necessarily bind him to that school the next fall.

All that changed sometime in the '80s or so, probably somewhere within a decade or so of the 85 Rule. BTW, the 105, then 95, now 85 Rule came about as university presidents tried to get control over the perceived runaway costs of schollies in that era and give the general public the false notion they were somehow in charge of their athletic programs. Travel squad sizes, walk-ons, etc., were also part of that economic flail. At one point GT was rumored to have 165 (yes, one-six-five) S-As on full football schollies, so you can imagine how it felt to be a walk-on who was at least playing part-time as opposed to full-ride guys who never dressed on Saturdays.

Just as a point of historical reference, former GT QB Charlie Dudish didn't sign his LOI until June 1968 at a Saturday AM press Conference at the old GTAA, just after the TV special on his recruitment aired. Six to eight weeks later he showed up on campus for Jerry Glanville's Freshmen Boot Camp.... uh, Fall Practice.
 

jgtengineer

Helluva Engineer
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2,969
Honestly only committable offers on the spot will do a lot of good. means less blanket offers to everyone from the factories.
 

JacketOff

Helluva Engineer
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I’ve seen this reported earlier today, but I don’t really get what it means. What is going to replace the NLI? Nobody seems to have anything concrete to say about what the new system actually is. The only thing I can gather is basically, “all the good stuff is going to stay, but all of the bad stuff is getting phased out.” What was/is the problem with the current system? Who is going to be in charge or enforcing the new rules? What are the punishments going to be for not following the rules? The ESPN article linked says that once an offer has been signed, that other schools are prohibited from recruiting. But schools have been prohibited from recruiting players who aren’t actively in the transfer portal, yet it happens all the time. How is this going to be any different?

As someone who signed an NLI, I really don’t get why the system was so bad it needed to be completely overhauled, and how changing it is a positive in the overall landscape of college athletics. Another article I read earlier today made it seem like dealing with NLI’s was a hassle for the schools. What changes in the new system are going to make it easier for them?
 

g0lftime

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Oldgoldandwhite said:
Sounds like a contract with everything, including payments, spelled out.
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Are these kids signing NIL contracts now? Not sure how that is working. Some are complaining the NIL promises are not being met. UNLV. May be why so many are opting to leave mid season to preserve red shirt but more than likely playing time.
 

takethepoints

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JacketOff said:
I’ve seen this reported earlier today, but I don’t really get what it means.
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I think it means agents. Lots and lots of agents. They are already there, of course, but this business means they will proliferate even more. The terms in the agreement are disturbingly vague. I'm as puzzled as you are after reading the linked article. Lord knows it's enough to leave any possible players and their families pretty much at sea. Enter the agent, stage left.

That won't do anybody any good. The NLOI was not perfect and doesn't fit well with the transfer regime, but it led to some stability in the system. Perhaps this will work out to be a slightly looser version of the NLOI and things will be slightly better. Since there are people on the sideline who can profit from making things much worse, I wouldn't bet on it.
 
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