Remember those fun signing college decision parties where athletes would sit at a table, often in the high school gym, and have a baseball cap of Univ. 1, 2 and 3 before dramatically – and theatrically – picking one of them?

That would be the suspenseful way of a high school standout announcing which university he or she would be attending, but that’s so… so… 2023.

Today the NCAA announced that the National Letter of Intent (NLI) program is being eliminated.

As one news source noted:

“The NLI was a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and a member institution, and it will be replaced by a new model that incorporates the NLI’s core benefits into financial aid and scholarship agreements.”

And as one top club head coach put it:

“It’s not necessary to sign those (NILs) anymore… you just show up for class.”

Here’s the NCAA social media post that kicked off all the excitement this morning:

DI Council approves transition of National Letter of Intent program into NCAA signing and recruiting rules, effective immediately.

Council decisions are not final until meeting concludes later today.

— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) October 9, 2024

Notice the last sentence, that it’s not final until it’s final… but, wow, just wow.

It’s going to happen.

Not surprisingly, the post had over 400,000 views within a few hours because this is another example – a HUGE one, nonetheless – of how college sports is changing so drastically from the “amateur sports” world of yesteryear to one of compensation at all levels… even down to the school and travel ball levels.

Want more proof this has become a big news story across the interwebs? Here’s just a few examples of it blowing up media-wise:

🚨 Breaking News! 🚨 Effective immediately, the NCAA has eliminated the requirement for college prospects to sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI). Moving forward, a scholarship and financial aid agreement will take its place.

/// #LΞVΞLUP #JOINtheLΞVΞLUTION pic.twitter.com/HUvcQv5evM

— (L)ΞVΞLUTION (@LEVELUTIONsport) October 9, 2024

🚨BREAKING🚨 The NCAA is eliminating the National Letter of Intent.

Financial aid and scholarship agreements are expected to be used.https://t.co/i9T6hxd7hB pic.twitter.com/Rk0zV6BA5g

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) October 9, 2024

🚨 NCAA moving to eliminate NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT

Per @on3: Previously, when signing an NLI, an athlete agreed to attend an institution full-time for a year. NLI penalties changed last year, no longer forcing athletes to sit a semester if they signed a request for release… pic.twitter.com/SplEfKcXKO

— Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) October 9, 2024

Here’s more on the above post from an excellent article done by Pete Nakos of On3:

“Historic changes are coming to college sports. The NCAA Division I Council approved Wednesday to eliminate the National Letter of Intent program.”

“The changes come as the NCAA undergoes its most seismic changes to date. The House v. NCAA settlement would permit schools to pay athletes more than $20 million annually, spurring the NCAA and its leaders to rethink their amateurism rules.”

The National Letter of Intent (NLI) program started in 1964 and is the binding agreement signed by recruits for generations. Instead, financial aid and scholarship agreements are expected to be used. The entire NLI will not be ditched, however, as the recruiting rules around the program will still be commonplace. When athletes enter the transfer portal and move schools, most just sign an athletics aid agreement.”