My feel for it is a LOI should have a timeline similar to a contract. If they are currently renewed yearly by schools (SEC) and process players, then players should be afforded same benefits.
But
A system with more stability for both parties should be pursued. Maybe this occurs when the top break away from NCAA as football evolves? I would like the transfer of graduate players to have more benefits. Maybe multiple windows. Maybe multiple times if eligible. The end of season December and end of spring ball/semester in May as window examples. For undergrad transfers, if we are indeed tying these teams to colleges, should occur just once for rising juniors with coaching change exception and be allowed just after their second season with the program. This would allow:
- LOI out of high school for two years to develop the prospect and program building
- Flexibility for HC or maybe even coordinator changes
- Program flexibility for “processing”
- Prospect entering draft eligible year can increase their exposure or change a situation that may have been poor and/or difficult to predict 3 years in future
- Limit entire roster tampering with NIL or playing time
- If player doesn’t transfer before year 3, they may graduate and transfer before year 4 or again before year 5.
- Most programs and players are not set up to graduate in 3 years so therefore it benefits the motivated
This system would funnel larger transfer percentages to be after 1.5-2 years in a program (June enrollment vs January early entry until the following year December) or graduates after 4 seasons. In most cases. If the program slow plays players credit course load over 5 years, then the player cannot transfer more then once in total.
