Verbal offers

Would it be considered bad form to accept a 75% offer and then turn it down after receiving a 100% offer a couple months later.

I know that both parties can reneg on a verbal, but I don't know what proper etiquette is.

Chaz McNulty said:

Would it be considered bad form to accept a 75% offer and then turn it down after receiving a 100% offer a couple months later.

I know that both parties can reneg on a verbal, but I don't know what proper etiquette is.

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Are either of these her dream school? Which school would she be happier at if softball wasn't in the picture? Is the $ differential "significant"? What are the chances that the grass is greener on the other side of the next fence?

Chaz McNulty said:

Would it be considered bad form to accept a 75% offer and then turn it down after receiving a 100% offer a couple months later.

I know that both parties can reneg on a verbal, but I don't know what proper etiquette is.

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Well, softball coaches do not typically make offers to "verballed" players, unlike football and basketball coaches. I suppose it could happen. However, etiquette suggests that you remain loyal to your commitment (though it would depend on a number of factors such as Greenmonsters pointed out).

Softball scholar said:

My daughter just recently got an offer from a school she likes. She's a sophomore pitcher. Coach just told me were offering her a percentage. Were happy with the percentage. Is that the way it works? They verbally say they're going to give that much, with nothing in writing. We got a couple of other schools were looking at. We haven't got a deadline from the school that offered.

Is it crazy to call the two other schools that are recruiting and say were now on a timeline from the other schools. Those other schools haven't made an offer.

Its crazy that you go to camps and show cases hoping for an offer, and when you get one, there's so much pressure on a sophomore kid to make a decision.

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This is exactly what I was wondering when I saw the original post. Are the coaches supposed to provide some type of documentation to player showing percentage or dollar amount? Nothing official but just something to refer back to. Or if the coach says 30% then agree (assuming it's the right school) and then wait for the NLI period. Seems to be a lot of gray area that both sides would benefit to put in writing.

Whenever I see the term "Verbal" in reference to commitment, I'm thinking that's no commitment from the school.
a young player "verbals" and they're not supposed to talk to any other schools. in the mean time, there is no binding contract or anything to keep the coach from looking. if the coach finds a better prospect before NLI day, whats to say the verballed kid doesn't get the shaft?

why commit when there's no commitment from the other side?

Chaz McNulty said:

Would it be considered bad form to accept a 75% offer and then turn it down after receiving a 100% offer a couple months later.

I know that both parties can reneg on a verbal, but I don't know what proper etiquette is.

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Once you're verbally committed to a school (in softball, anyway), you are not supposed to entertain offers from other schools. In fact, it's considered bad form for other schools to even talk to her if she has already verballed.

My daughter committed early in her sophomore year, and her travel coach was approached late in her junior year by another university who wanted to talk to her, but would not violate the unwritten rule. She ended up decommitting from School 1 to talk to School 2 (a far better academic school), and got an offer from there.

End of the day, she went another route entirely and ended up with a perfect fit (and a full ride) at School 3. I would caution against an early verbal unless your daughter is 100% sure it's what she wants. Don't commit somewhere if you're just using it as a placeholder until something better comes along.

So you get a verbal off from a college. You have 2 other colleges you're talking to. Do you tell them that you have an offer?

Softball scholar said:

My daughter just recently got an offer from a school she likes. She's a sophomore pitcher. Coach just told me were offering her a percentage. Were happy with the percentage. Is that the way it works? They verbally say they're going to give that much, with nothing in writing. We got a couple of other schools were looking at. We haven't got a deadline from the school that offered.

Is it crazy to call the two other schools that are recruiting and say were now on a timeline from the other schools. Those other schools haven't made an offer.

Its crazy that you go to camps and show cases hoping for an offer, and when you get one, there's so much pressure on a sophomore kid to make a decision.

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It against NCAA rules to offer in writing prior to signing day. A verbal is just exactly that, a non-binding verbal offer/acceptance.

To answer another question,: you do not have to accept a verbal and can wait until Sr year when they can "officially offer" however you may find that many schools have already committed all of their scholorship money elsewhere. That being said, either party can bail on a verbal at any time.

Softball scholar said:

So you get a verbal off from a college. You have 2 other colleges you're talking to. Do you tell them that you have an offer?

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Depending on your relationship with the coaches, you certainly can. Many people use offers as a way to elicit a response from other schools. You may very well end up with the other schools writing your daughter off, though.

ScottyDont said:

Depending on your relationship with the coaches, you certainly can. Many people use offers as a way to elicit a response from other schools. You may very well end up with the other schools writing your daughter off, though.

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Always always be honest. College softball is a very very small world and all coaches talk to each other, even about prospects. Most likely coach already knows you have other offers.