Early Signing Period Is Only The Beginning

The early signing period for NCAA sports is quickly approaching.

In less than one month, high school seniors in all sports except football, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s water polo can sign National Letters of Intent (NLI) with NCAA Division I and II colleges and universities from November 9-16.

Of course, in order to sign, you will have received a verbal offer and made a verbal commitment to an NCAA school. These verbal offers and verbal commitments, while considered strong, are not binding.  The scholarship offer only becomes binding upon signing the National Letter of Intent (NLI) at the NCAA Division I and II levels.

But what if you haven’t made a verbal commitment? What if you haven’t received any verbal offers? Then what?

Don’t panic!

While it is urgent if you do not have an offer, high school seniors still have time to receive and accept verbal offers leading up to and during the NCAA regular signing periods in 2017. Football players can sign with Division I and II schools from February 1 to April 1. Men’s and women’s soccer players and men’s water polo players can sign from February 1 to August 1. Division I basketball players can sign from April 12 to May 17. Athletes in all other sports, including Division II basketball, can sign from April 12 to August 1. There is no official signing period for Division III schools, which don’t offer athletic scholarships.

If you hope to sign during the regular signing periods, you still must apply for college admission by late December or early January. That way, if you don’t receive any offers to become a college student-athlete, you still can be accepted as a student. Acceptance letters usually begin arriving in February, but some may not come until March or April.

The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to apply to a school during the regular application period to play sports there. Colleges hold spots in school for incoming student-athletes. College coaches can make verbal offers — and student-athletes can sign NLIs — any time before the end of the regular signing period, even after high school graduation.

Keep in mind, though, that incoming students must submit a $200-$500 non-refundable deposit by May 1 to hold spots in school for them. Student-athletes who have not signed by then should pay that deposit, which is put toward tuition, or risk losing their spots.

If a student-athlete signs an NLI with another school after May 1, he or she will lose their tuition deposit, but gain an opportunity to play college sports. In addition, he or she could receive an athletic and/or academic scholarship worth far more than their deposit. Not a bad trade. If you have questions about this process or are concerned that you or your child is being left behind in the recruiting process, there are qualified professional scouts that can help guide you in the process.  Contact a local NSR scout for more information.