National Letter of Intent Edged Out of College Signing Day by NIL, Revenue Sharing

College Signing Day is looking a little different due to the impact of NIL deals.

The College Football Playoff sign for the 2024 national championship game is seen during media day at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

In the past, the National Letter of Intent (NLI) bound college students to their selection; limiting the athlete's ability to switch their commitment.

College Signing Day looked a little different this year, doing away with NLIs in light of NCAA Division I's new system. In the best interest of the student-athletes, the NCAA is now allowing teams to incentivize athletes to choose their school through revenue sharing contracts and/or financial aid agreements.

The 2025 class will be the first class to bask in the glory of the settlement agreement that is to come from House v. NCAA. With this settlement, revenue sharing can begin, providing the student-athletes with a more secure financial standing.

The programs must still abide by individual state laws; in which case some restrictions on revenue sharing may still apply.

Currently, a recent court injunction prohibits the NCAA from punishing universities that use NIL incentives to increase enrollment. With these protections, many schools have begun recruitment efforts for the next season, bringing the end to letters of intent.

One particular school gives credit to their program culture and history, rather than their ability to offer financial incentives.

Texas A&M has spoken out about the laws in place in the state of Texas, noting that they have not entered into any revenue sharing agreements with their student-athletes. State legislatures in Texas and members of the Senate Higher Education Committee have refused to comment on the future of NIL bills in Texas, causing some concern for schools like A&M.

However, the Aggies' athletic director Trev Alberts and head coach Mike Elko see no reason for concern in the recruitment game.

“I think we’re in a really good spot and I don’t think NIL played any role," commented Elko.

Fewer and fewer schools today emphasize the character of their potential stars, focusing solely on the money grab game. A&M has proven that their interest in certain recruits has only grown throughout this entire process, especially four-star recruit DJ Sanders.

As more schools put Sanders in their sights, Elko just becomes more impressed that his 2025 signee wants to stay at Texas A&M despite their inability to match other universities.

There is no doubt that programs will continue to utilize NIL revenue sharing to their advantage, however, the NCAA is doing all it can to safeguard athletes.

The system of recruitment and college athletics in general, is a growing game. Elko and his staff are leaning into the strategy of it all, ready to use all resources necessary within the bounds of Texas State legislature.

CFB is an ever-evolving game, and it would serve universities well to learn the ins and outs, as soon as possible.