Word: letters
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...every Division I athletic conference but the Ivy League, high school senior athletes sign what amounts to a written contract, known as the NCAA letter of intent, to attend a college or university and receive an athletic scholarship. On signing day, which falls on the first Wednesday in February, the recruiting process ends...
...League, however, does not honor the NCAA letter of intent because the Council of Ivy Presidents cannot overcome the “pay for play” overtones of such a letter. This view is delusional, though, as some Ivy-bound athletes presently choose one Ivy over another based on need-based financial aid packages, which are often juicier at the better endowed schools—in particular Harvard, Princeton, and Yale...
...flaw in the Ivy League’s recruitment and commitment process stems from the arrangement used instead of the letter of intent. This system relies on what is known as a “likely letter”—a one-way written commitment, mailed by deans of admission to high school seniors who have already made a verbal commitment to a coach. The letter, which can be mailed at almost any date, confirms that the athletes are likely to be admitted come April. But Jeff Orleans, the executive director of the Ivy League, confessed...
...early decision application looked “very good” and told that he should turn down an offer from Notre Dame. “Tell them you have committed to Dartmouth,” the coach advised in early October. In December, Dartmouth sent a rejection letter. Stunned, the player’s family sought an explanation from admissions and the coach. Each party blamed the other for “miscommunication.” Such a lack of accountability is built into the current Ivy system. The student was lucky; he scrambled to revive interest from other...
There is, however, a simple solution to this chaos. The Council of Ivy Presidents should adopt a “letter of Ivy intent” with a common date. By placing the emphasis on the word Ivy, the inherent message would be clear and forceful: athletes who signed it would be intent on pursuing an excellent education while playing their sport for passion, not for a scholarship. By instituting an Ivy signing date, players would be free to visit several schools and collect offers before making a final decision. This would reduce the pressure on athletes to make...