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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2022 SIGNING DAY
National Signing Day
Signing Period rules for 2021-22 school year
What is a National Letter of Intent?
Early Signing Period
Do you have to re-sign a NLI every year?
Regular Signing Period
Early enrollment
National Signing Day
National Letter of Intent release rules
When does an NLI become null and void?
National Signing Day
For many sports, especially in Division I, National Signing Day has become a celebrated event. Technically, student-athletes do not need to sign their National Letters of Intent on the first day of the Signing Period, but many do.
Below are updated signing dates for each sport for student-athletes signing in 2021-2022 for 2022-2023 enrollment:
Sport
Initial Signing Date
Final Signing Date
D1 Basketball (early period)
November 10, 2021
November 17, 2021
D1 Basketball (regular period)
April 13, 2022
May 18, 2022
D1 Football (early period)
December 15, 2021
December 17, 2021
D1 and D2 Football (mid-year JC transfer)
December 15, 2021
January 15, 2022
D1 and D2 Football (regular period)
February 2, 2022
Division I: April 1, 2022
Division II: August 1, 202
2
All other D1 and D2 sports
November 10, 2021
August 1, 2022
Insider tip: You can sign a National Letter Intent after the last Signing Period ends, but it is rare that there will be any roster spots left.
When your student-athlete receives their NLI document, the appropriate Signing Period should be checked. If the Signing Period has begun for their sport, they must sign within seven days of the issue date (noted on the document). If they receive the NLI document before the Signing Period window opens, they must wait until 7 a.m. of the first date of the period. The student-athlete’s parent or legal guardian must also sign the document; college coaches cannot be present during the signing.
Remember, while many student-athletes sign on National Signing Day, many others receive and sign an NLI after the first signing date. Many student-athletes need more time to weigh their options before making such a big decision, or they’re waiting to see if a better offer will come. This however, can be a gamble because they may get better scholarship offers, but on the flipside, they may lose what is on the table. It’s a fine line and there is no right timetable. The recruiting process is different for every family–right up to signing day.
Insider tip: You do not have to have final certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to sign a NLI. However, if you do not receive certification by the time you start school, your NLI will be null and void and you will lose your scholarship.
Signing Period rules for 2021-22 school year
Starting in the 2019-20 school year, significant updates to the Signing Period rules have sped up the timeline for seniors looking to sign with a school. In the past, there was an early Signing Period (usually in November) followed by a break over the holidays (dead period) before signing NLIs resumed in the spring during the regular Signing Period. All athletes outside of football and men’s and women’s D1 basketball players can begin signing scholarships on November 10, 2021 and continue to sign anytime through August 1, 2022.
While much of the recruiting process happens long before November of your senior year, the fact that athletes will be ending their recruiting by signing NLIs earlier means recruiting in the lower divisions will likely speed up as well. In the past, NCAA D2, D3 and NAIA schools would wait for D1 programs to complete their recruiting classes before ramping up their signings. Now that D1 schools will be completing their signings earlier, expect all other division levels to be busy over the holidays instead of mid to late spring.
Insider tip: If you are a senior in the class of 2021, you have no time to wait. Opportunities are going to fill up even earlier than before. For all underclassmen, this should put you on notice to make sure you have a solid recruiting relationship going into your senior year instead of waiting to get started.
What is a National Letter of Intent?
The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a contract signed by both the student-athlete and their college. All NLI contracts must include an athletic aid agreement or athletic scholarship that lists the amount of athletic aid the athlete is being offered for their first academic year. Student-athletes must be enrolling at a four-year NCAA D1 or D2 institution for the first time or transferring to a four-year institution from a two-year college to be eligible to sign the NLI.
The NLI can be sent via mail, email, fax, mobile app or any other electronic means. College coaches are not permitted to hand deliver an NLI or be present when you sign the document. Starting the day that the NLI is issued, a student-athlete and their legal guardian have seven days to sign and return the contract. While athletes may receive their NLI before the initial signing date, they are not permitted to sign the document until National Signing Day.
Signing on the dotted line of the National Letter of Intent means three things:
An NLI is a legal, binding contract. So, it is something you are going to want to fully understand before signing it. Your athlete’s new coach and representatives from the school can help answer your questions or concerns when it comes to signing the NLI.
Things to consider before signing an NLI:
Insider tip: If your student-athlete has been invited to walk-on (no scholarship), they will not sign a National Letter of Intent. Learn more about being a walk-on.
Keep in mind that signing an NLI does not mean your student-athlete has been admitted into the university. or that they’ve received their amateur certification from the NCAA Eligibility Center. Athletes must complete the eligibility process and meet the school’s admission requirements to officially be enrolled and compete for a college program.
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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2022 SIGNING DAY
National Signing Day
Signing Period rules for 2021-22 school year
What is a National Letter of Intent?
Early Signing Period
Do you have to re-sign a NLI every year?
Regular Signing Period
Early enrollment
National Signing Day
National Letter of Intent release rules
When does an NLI become null and void?
National Signing Day
For many sports, especially in Division I, National Signing Day has become a celebrated event. Technically, student-athletes do not need to sign their National Letters of Intent on the first day of the Signing Period, but many do.
Below are updated signing dates for each sport for student-athletes signing in 2021-2022 for 2022-2023 enrollment:
Sport
Initial Signing Date
Final Signing Date
D1 Basketball (early period)
November 10, 2021
November 17, 2021
D1 Basketball (regular period)
April 13, 2022
May 18, 2022
D1 Football (early period)
December 15, 2021
December 17, 2021
D1 and D2 Football (mid-year JC transfer)
December 15, 2021
January 15, 2022
D1 and D2 Football (regular period)
February 2, 2022
Division I: April 1, 2022
Division II: August 1, 202
2
All other D1 and D2 sports
November 10, 2021
August 1, 2022
Insider tip: You can sign a National Letter Intent after the last Signing Period ends, but it is rare that there will be any roster spots left.
When your student-athlete receives their NLI document, the appropriate Signing Period should be checked. If the Signing Period has begun for their sport, they must sign within seven days of the issue date (noted on the document). If they receive the NLI document before the Signing Period window opens, they must wait until 7 a.m. of the first date of the period. The student-athlete’s parent or legal guardian must also sign the document; college coaches cannot be present during the signing.
Remember, while many student-athletes sign on National Signing Day, many others receive and sign an NLI after the first signing date. Many student-athletes need more time to weigh their options before making such a big decision, or they’re waiting to see if a better offer will come. This however, can be a gamble because they may get better scholarship offers, but on the flipside, they may lose what is on the table. It’s a fine line and there is no right timetable. The recruiting process is different for every family–right up to signing day.
Insider tip: You do not have to have final certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to sign a NLI. However, if you do not receive certification by the time you start school, your NLI will be null and void and you will lose your scholarship.
Signing Period rules for 2021-22 school year
Starting in the 2019-20 school year, significant updates to the Signing Period rules have sped up the timeline for seniors looking to sign with a school. In the past, there was an early Signing Period (usually in November) followed by a break over the holidays (dead period) before signing NLIs resumed in the spring during the regular Signing Period. All athletes outside of football and men’s and women’s D1 basketball players can begin signing scholarships on November 10, 2021 and continue to sign anytime through August 1, 2022.
While much of the recruiting process happens long before November of your senior year, the fact that athletes will be ending their recruiting by signing NLIs earlier means recruiting in the lower divisions will likely speed up as well. In the past, NCAA D2, D3 and NAIA schools would wait for D1 programs to complete their recruiting classes before ramping up their signings. Now that D1 schools will be completing their signings earlier, expect all other division levels to be busy over the holidays instead of mid to late spring.
Insider tip: If you are a senior in the class of 2021, you have no time to wait. Opportunities are going to fill up even earlier than before. For all underclassmen, this should put you on notice to make sure you have a solid recruiting relationship going into your senior year instead of waiting to get started.
What is a National Letter of Intent?
The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a contract signed by both the student-athlete and their college. All NLI contracts must include an athletic aid agreement or athletic scholarship that lists the amount of athletic aid the athlete is being offered for their first academic year. Student-athletes must be enrolling at a four-year NCAA D1 or D2 institution for the first time or transferring to a four-year institution from a two-year college to be eligible to sign the NLI.
The NLI can be sent via mail, email, fax, mobile app or any other electronic means. College coaches are not permitted to hand deliver an NLI or be present when you sign the document. Starting the day that the NLI is issued, a student-athlete and their legal guardian have seven days to sign and return the contract. While athletes may receive their NLI before the initial signing date, they are not permitted to sign the document until National Signing Day.
Signing on the dotted line of the National Letter of Intent means three things:
- Your student-athlete has committed to one year at the university. They do not need to sign an NLI after their first year. The school is required to let student-athletes know if their scholarship is being renewed after the first year.
- The university is promising to provide an athletic scholarship for that year. The NLI and financial aid package are two separate documents. Your student-athlete will need to sign both. Only Division 1 programs are permitted to offer multi-year athletic aid in an NLI.
- Your student-athlete’s recruiting journey is over. No other schools can continue to recruit them and they are not permitted to contact coaches at other institutions.
An NLI is a legal, binding contract. So, it is something you are going to want to fully understand before signing it. Your athlete’s new coach and representatives from the school can help answer your questions or concerns when it comes to signing the NLI.
Things to consider before signing an NLI:
- What kind of education and college experience the athlete will receive?
- What kind of role they’ll have on the team (starter or on the bench for a few years)?
- What scholarship amount they’ve been offered?
- How much of their tuition and expenses will be covered by the scholarship?
- Whether they’d enjoy attending the school if they weren’t playing sports?
Insider tip: If your student-athlete has been invited to walk-on (no scholarship), they will not sign a National Letter of Intent. Learn more about being a walk-on.
Keep in mind that signing an NLI does not mean your student-athlete has been admitted into the university. or that they’ve received their amateur certification from the NCAA Eligibility Center. Athletes must complete the eligibility process and meet the school’s admission requirements to officially be enrolled and compete for a college program.
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