The National Letter of Intent no longer exists
The document most families associate with signing day (the National Letter of Intent) was officially eliminated by the NCAA in October 2024. The 2027 class will be only the second group of high school football recruits to sign something different.
What replaces it is called a Written Offer of Athletics Aid, or financial aid agreement. Functionally, much of the process is the same. But the shift matters for families approaching the December early signing window, which opens on December 4, 2026.
What changed, and what did not
The NLI was a standardized document administered through a central NCAA program. Every athlete signing with a Division I school signed the same form. The financial aid agreement is issued directly by the school. That means the content (and the specifics of what a family is agreeing to) can vary from one institution to the next.
One significant addition: because schools are now sharing revenue directly with athletes, some financial aid agreements include terms related to that compensation. A family signing in December may be agreeing to more than a scholarship. The document may specify a revenue-share figure, enrollment conditions, and language about what happens if the athlete enters the transfer portal before completing a season.
The recruiting protection is unchanged. Once an athlete signs a written offer of athletics aid, Division I programs are prohibited from continuing recruiting communications. That function carries over from the old NLI.
What families need to read before December
The move from a standardized form to a school-issued agreement means the document is worth reading carefully, not treating as a formality.
Families should request the agreement in advance of signing day rather than reviewing it for the first time during a campus visit. Specific questions worth asking: whether a revenue-share figure is included, what conditions would change that figure, and what the agreement says about transfer.
Coaching staff turnover is another variable. Under the old NLI, there was an established waiver process for athletes who wanted to re-enter the market after a coaching change. Under school-specific financial aid agreements, the process depends on the document's terms and the institution's own policies, which now vary.
The practical window for families right now
The December early signing period is roughly 100 days away. For 2027 families who are committed or approaching commitment, this is the right window to ask direct questions: What will we be signing? Can we see the document now? What does it say about compensation?
Programs are not required to send the agreement before signing day. But there is no rule against requesting it. Families who understand what they are agreeing to before December are in a better position than those who approach this signing the same way families did five years ago.
The name of the document changed. Some of what is inside it changed too. The preparation should change with it.