<P> The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States . The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) provides governance oversight of the program . Started in 1964 with seven conferences and eight independent institutions, the program now includes 676 Division I and II participating institutions . There are designated dates for different sports, and these dates are commonly referred to as "Signing Day". </P> <P> Division III institutions are specifically banned from using the NLI, or any similar document that is not executed by non-athletes at those institutions . </P>

What is a letter of intent for college sports