NCAA announces major rule changes regarding National Letter of Intent

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The NCAA Division I council approved major rule changes on Wednesday. One of the rule changes, involves the National Letter of Intent.

In their new guidelines, the NCAA mentions written offers of athletics will replace NLI, and the previous formula for determining signing dates will now be applied to those written offers. The NCAA also made statements regarding to the new rules as they pertain to transfers.

“Transfer prospects may be signed by a new school once their names are permissibly entered in the Transfer Portal. After a prospect signs a written offer of athletics aid, other schools that offer athletically related financial aid will be prohibited from recruiting communications with that prospect.”

Patrick Ransdell, the Athletic Director for Division I Missouri State, said the written offer acts as an athletically related financial aid agreement.

“There will be no more letter of intent,” said Ransdell. “Now you will be able to sign a financial aid agreement, and that will take the place of the traditional NLI paperwork, putting someone in a school.”

In regards to the athletes themselves, Ransdell said they will be given guidance involving timeframes on when they can sign according to the rules.

“Student athletes will be given guidance on exactly how that will take place. So both the students and institutions are aware on exact dates and timeframes in which these student athletes can sign.”

As of today, the National Letter of Intent website lists specific days for initial and final signing dates:

Division I basketball (early period) and all other Division II and II sports: November 13, 2024—November 20, 2024 & August 1, 2025 is the final signing date for all other Division I and II sports

Division I basketball (regular period): April 16, 2025—May 21, 2025

Division I football (early period) and Division I and II football (midyear JC transfer): December 4, 2024—January 15, 2025

Division I and II football (regular period): February 5, 2025—April 1, 2025 (DI) & August 1, 2025 (DII)

“We all can still have those dates penciled into the calendar, so that way it’s being managed properly,” said Ransdell. “I think it’s a good thing for maybe everybody involved, and I think it deregulates things a little bit. I had a feeling this is where it was all moving anyway, so kudos to the council for moving the football down the field a little bit.”

To see the full list of rule changes, including new regulations on transfer windows, CLICK HERE .

To view our full interview with Missouri State Athletic Director Patrick Ransdell, check out the video below:

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.