Arizona refuses to allow freshman center to transfer

He signed the letter. The letter is explicit about what the demands are. If he lawyers up and goes in and says, "I didn't read the fine print," does he really have a case?
Kentucky bowed because of public/media pressure, not any legal threat.

 

They signed the letter. Live up to it.

 

Sure there is. There are NCAA rules that would prevent him from playing intercollegiate sports for the next two years if the original school does not approve of where the kid transfers.

Scholarships not withstanding, why should one school be able to dictate whether or not a student can participate in an extracurricular activity at another school? That would be like a student who participates in the school marching band deciding to transfer schools. When kids in marching bands transfer, they can go to their new school's band. Athletics should be the same way.

Signing a NOI is for scholarship purposes. If a kid wants to leave, let him, scholarship or no scholarship.

 

This is why senior coaches have a harder time recruiting.

It also shows how what is happening at Penn State is so remarkable.

 

If, after 25 years of this being proven to be the worst document anyone can ever sign, kids and their families are still stupid enough to sign it, I have a hard time getting up any sympathy for them.

 

Twoback, good point.

What if they do not sign it?

Let's say they apply and enroll in the spring or summer for the fall classes, isn't that enough?

If the scholarship is not there, they just leave, and the coach and team lose all credit with incoming recruits.

 

You do not have to sign a letter of intent. You can sign a financial aid agreement, with as many schools as you please, after the LOI period has expired, and then show up wherever you please, with no penalty.

However, the LOI is legally binding. Schools are required to "save" a scholarship for a qualified athlete who has signed an LOI so there is a guaranteed place for him/her on the roster.

That is not the case for athletes who simply sign a financial aid agreement. If they're full, you're SOL.

 

But if you promise a scholly to a recruit, and it is not there waiting for them in the fall, that coach would be a dead man walking on the recuiting trail, right?

 

Depends on how successful the coach is. The best coaches can promise scholarships to every kid in the country, and yank the majority of them and he would still get his players. The ones at the other end of the spectrum have to pretty much keep their promises.

I can understand why an average athlete is willing to sign a National Letter of Intent. Competition for scholarships is fierce, and that athlete wants to lock up a scholarship for himself.

The star athletes, I don't know why they should sign. Do you really think a school won't make a scholarship available for them?

 

How many of them realize they don't have to sign a NLOI?

 

Probably not too many of them.