The best reaction to — what happens when you verbally commit to a college?

Contents

When you verbally commit to a college, you are indicating that you intend to attend that college and play for their sports team. However, this commitment is not binding until you sign a National Letter of Intent.

A more thorough response to your query

When a student-athlete verbally commits to a college, it means that they have given their word to attend and play for that college’s sports team. Verbal commitments can happen at any time, but they are most common in the months leading up to National Signing Day, which is the first Wednesday of February.

However, it’s essential to remember that a verbal commitment is not binding. It’s merely an indication that the player will likely sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) once they have finished their recruitment process. An NLI is a legal document that student-athletes sign, which binds them to the school they choose to attend.

Some facts on what happens when a student-athlete verbally commits to a college:

Verbal commitments are not binding, so a student-athlete can change their mind at any time before they sign the NLI.
There is no deadline for making a verbal commitment, but most college programs like to have their recruiting class built by the end of the summer or early fall.
No official paperwork is involved in a verbal commitment. The student-athlete and the college coach agree to the terms of the commitment verbally.
Several high-profile athletes have broken their verbal commitments. In 2010, highly touted quarterback Josh Nunes verbally committed to Tennessee, but he ultimately signed with Stanford.
A verbal commitment can offer some peace of mind to a college coach. The coach can devote their time to other areas of recruiting, knowing that they have a student-athlete likely joining their program.

To highlight the importance of an NLI, here’s a quote from a well-known source:

“Until they sign the National Letter of Intent, no commitment is binding. I’ve signed 30-some guys in my years of recruiting, and I’ve lost three to four of them after they committed but before they signed. That’s just the nature of the game.” – Jim McElwain, former head football coach at Florida.

IMPORTANT: Your inquiry is — what is a 68 in GPA?

In summary, when a student-athlete verbally commits to a college, they are stating their intention to attend and play for that school’s sports team. However, verbal commitments are not binding, and the student-athlete can change their mind before signing the National Letter of Intent.

In this video, you may find the answer to “What happens when you verbally commit to a college?”

In a video titled “Recruiting Tip: Explaining how verbal commitments work,” Jason Lauren explains that a verbal commitment is a non-binding agreement between an athlete and a college to play sports before being eligible to sign a national letter of intent. The commitment can be made before senior year, and either party can back out for any reason. However, Lauren recommends that athletes stay committed once they make a verbal commitment, as breaking it may lead to not playing anywhere.

Some further responses to your query

While an NLI is a binding contract between the recruit and the college or university, a verbal commitment is a non-binding agreement between coach and player. Since it is non-binding, a verbal commitment can be broken or taken back at any time by either the coach or the player.

When you verbally commit to a college, not much changes immediately. Your commitment is not binding, so the school you committed to will continue developing a relationship with you to convince you to stay committed. Additionally, other schools will continue to recruit you until you sign your National Letter of Intent. With a verbal commitment, you are taking yourself out of the recruitment process, but you can change your mind at any time. A verbal commitment serves as a signal to other college coaches to stop recruiting you.

Immediately after verbally committing to a college, not much changes. Your commitment is not binding, so the school you committed to will continue developing a relationship with you to convince you to stay committed. Additionally, other schools will continue to recruit you until you sign your National Letter of Intent.

With a verbal commitment you are, in essence, taking yourself out of the recruitment process and you are, at least in many coaches’ beliefs, at liberty to explain to other coaches that you are “committed” to a program. You are no longer in the process of finding a college, a college program or a scholarship but you can change your mind at anytime.

A verbal commitment is when your student-athlete verbally agrees to attend a school before they sign (or are able to sign) a National Letter of Intent (NLI). Recruits can make a verbal commitment at any time. When a student-athletes makes a verbal commitment, it serves as a signal to other college coaches to stop recruiting them.

You will probably be interested in this

Are college verbal commitments legally binding?

Answer to this: When a student-athletes makes a verbal commitment, it serves as a signal to other college coaches to stop recruiting them. It’s important to keep in mind that, just like a verbal offer, NCAA verbal commitments are not a binding agreement.

Does verbal commitment guarantee admission?

Answer to this: Verbally committing does not bind you to a college program; however, it does mean that you are giving a coaching staff your word that you want to become a part of their program. Following the steps laid out above will help you correctly navigate the time period between verbally committing and signing your NLI.

What does verbal commitment mean in NCAA?

A verbal commitment happens when a college-bound student-athlete verbally agrees to play sports for a college before he or she signs or is eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on the student-athlete or the school and can be made at any time.

What happens if you commit to a college?

The response is: You can verbally commit to a college at any time during high school but it’s non-binding for both you and the school, meaning that you haven’t signed or can’t sign with that college yet. The only time your commitment is binding is when you sign a commitment accompanied by some sort of financial aid agreement.

What is a verbal commitment?

Response: A verbal commitment is when your student-athlete verbally agrees to attend a school before they sign (or are able to sign) a National Letter of Intent (NLI). Recruits can make a verbal commitment at any time. When a student-athletes makes a verbal commitment, it serves as a signal to other college coaches to stop recruiting them.

Do you have to verbally commit to college?

Response to this: There Is No Rush To Verbally Commit: Don’t rush your verbal commitment.You are not required to verbally commit until National Signing Day, where you have to sign your NLI. You should only verbally commit if you are entirely sure that the school you are choosing is where you want to attend college.

What happens to a recruit who verbally commits?

The response is: What happens to a recruit who verbally commits and then before they get to college, the coach leaves? This is happening more and more because the time in-between verbal commitments and graduation can be as long as 10 years. If you verbal a 7th or 8th grader, then there is potentially 9 years.

Can college coaches back out of verbal commitments?

In reply to that: And the answer is yes. That said it is important to realize the flip side of the coin and although it is less likely, college coaches can back out of a verbal commitment, especially if the prospect shows a lack of progress on the field or in the classroom.

When can I verbally commit to a college or university?

As an answer to this: Technically speaking, you can verbally commit to a college or university at any time providing the coach has made you an offer. Verbal commitments are in place to allow an athlete to commit to a school before they are able to sign a National Letter of Intent or (NLI).

Can a student-athlete verbally commit to a college?

Student-athletes can verbally commit to a college at any time, regardless of their age or high school graduation year! Coaches can relay a verbal offer to a recruit as soon as they can speak to the student in person or over the phone.

What is a verbal commitment?

The answer is: A verbal commitment is when your student-athlete verbally agrees to attend a school before they sign (or are able to sign) a National Letter of Intent (NLI). Recruits can make a verbal commitment at any time. When a student-athletes makes a verbal commitment, it serves as a signal to other college coaches to stop recruiting them.

Is it OK to back out of a verbal commitment?

Response to this: In general, verbally committing means you’re going to cut all communication with other college coaches. However, it’s okay for an athlete to consider backing out of a verbal commitment if there was a coaching change. For most athletes, the recruiting process only happens once.