FWIW - The parent also has to sign an NLI. It is not like the kid did this on their own.
FWIW - The parent also has to sign an NLI. It is not like the kid did this on their own.
Just out of curiosity, does a letter of intent bind the college in any way? I only ask because you hear so many situations where colleges revoke an offer at a later date. If Akron was to decide they wanted to go a different direction earlier, could they have dropped her? I'm OK with contractual obligations. I just wonder if they obligations are balanced.
I am NOT an expert on the subject, but once the NLI is signed by the player and the school it is a legally binding contract. The NCAA will allow players out of the NLI if there is a coaching change or some mitigating circumstances that would make a player have a change of heart. It is my understanding a player who signs an NLI can still transfer to another school, but they would have to sit out a year.
No, players cannot get out of an NLI if the coach leaves. The NCAA steadfastly refuses to admit that the coach is usually a bigger factor in where an athlete signs than the school itself. That's a big part of how the NCAA justifies requiring players to sit out a year if they transfer but allowing coaches to change jobs without having to sit out.