Study To Sharpen Prospects' Academic Focus
By Michelle Hosick, The NCAA News, May 22, 2006

With an eye toward protecting the academic success of prospective student-athletes, an NCAA working group has been appointed to examine the issue of “early commitments,” particularly in football and basketball. The Collegiate Commissioners Association requires institutions to wait until a prospect’s senior year in high school before offering a letter of intent, but that hasn’t stopped prospects as young as 15 from “verbally committing” before their senior year.

Some prospects like the early commitment because they think it alleviates pressure from the recruiting process and allows them to focus more on their senior year. While athletics officials might agree with that intent, they also warn that many prospects — and their parents — aren’t aware that any verbal commitment, or even a letter from a coach offering a grant-in-aid before the official signing date, can’t be enforced by either the coach or student-athlete.

Some officials fear that early commitments occasionally leave student-athletes without the means or opportunity to attend college, much less participate in collegiate sports. That unfortunate outcome could be for a number of reasons, including the prospect not meeting academic admissions standards at a particular institution, the prospect not meeting NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse criteria, or a change in the coaching staff. Some parents and students are unaware that the student must still apply for admission to the institution after both a verbal commitment and a non-binding written scholarship offer — and they must pass through the Clearinghouse, too.

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