Question about Letters of Intent

wyokie · Post by **wyokie** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:28 am

After you sign a LOI, how hard is it to get out of it? The reason I'm asking is because after Kelvin Sampson, the Head basketball Coach at Oklahoma, took the Indiana job his newest OU recruits want out of their LOIs. Of the five recruits he signed to play for OU, at least 2 are already asking OU for permission to be let out of their LOIs. The other 3, I think, will follow suit within a few days but that's just my opinion.

BTW, I had no idea where to place this question. I was half-tempted to put it in the Hawaii basketball forum. So,...

The808Chef · Post by **The808Chef** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:49 am

It's hard once you fax it in cause then it's binding. I read that article about OU on ESPN.com and those guys got a hard road to hoe. There was arguments about this a while back about kids trying to out of their LOI because the coach left. They're argument was, "I signed on because of Coach so-so". HOWEVER! The school's argument is you're signing the LOI to the school and not the coach. The school will then decide what to do. Either way, they still have to sit out a year if they do get a release and transfer to another D1A school. They can always transfer to either a D2 or D1AA and play right away. Sucks eh?

wyokie · Post by **wyokie** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:56 am

Thanks, Fringe. I figured those kids were going be up a creek with no paddle. I can see the kids' argument but, stilll...a contract IS a contract.

The808Chef · Post by **The808Chef** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:05 pm

wyokie wrote:Thanks, Fringe. I figured those kids were going be up a creek with no paddle. I can see the kids' argument but, stilll...a contract IS a contract.

True...either OU can honor their release or not honor it. Either way, it's too bad for things to go that way.

808 · Post by **808** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:31 pm

It may make a difference if the coach left the school voluntarily or not. For instance, when Fresno State fired Lindy Vivas, the women's volleyball coach, I think they let their star freshman, Christianna Reneau, out of her commitment to FSU. She quickly moved over to LMU and played there this year.

Sampson left on his own. I wouldn't expect the school to let the kids out of their LOI's, or if they do let them out, I wouldn't expect them to waive the required redshirt year.

Irse · Post by **Irse** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:54 pm

It may make a difference if the coach left the school voluntarily or not. For instance, when Fresno State fired Lindy Vivas, the women's volleyball coach, I think they let their star freshman, Christianna Reneau, out of her commitment to FSU. She quickly moved over to LMU and played there this year.

It makes more of a difference what sport they play. Volleyball players do not have to sit out a year when they transfer, I think. Basketball and football do.

Those players probably will still have to sit out a year since they signed a LOI. Its a matter whether they can get financial aid at the new school. I believe that if they don't let them off, they can't get a scholarship for a year also it may make a differnce in which school they could go to. I'm not sure but I think if they are not released from their LOI, they may not be able to transfer to another Big 12 school.

One example last year is Tyler Smith a basketball player who signed with Tenn. He wanted out after Peterson got fired. Pearl, the new UT coach said no. He ended up at a prep school. Will be picking a college to go to for next year.