What Commitments Go with an "Offer"?

[ShockTalk]

I believe I have a good understanding in the difference and commitment between a player giving a verbal (or soft verbal) and actually signing.

I would like to know more about how an offer works and the commitment, legally or ethically, it makes on the university.

Example: A school is on the trail for players that are not in the immediate recruiting class. I notice how often schools may make offers to players, maybe even in excess of the schollies currently available to that class. Yes, I understand the idea of over-recruiting because "things change". It's not that part I have a question about. It has to do with offering a player a couple of years out, that player wanting to make an immediate verbal, there are only two schollies available, and the coaching staff has made offers to four other players (of which the player that wants to verbal is #5 on their wish list) and knows there are others they may want to offer after getting a better look.

Can the school pull the offer? If so, is this a readily accepted practice in recruitment or can it give the school/coaching staff a "bad name" in the recruiting wars?

This is a general question and does not have anything to do with any school or player. Merely an inquiry. Thanks.

[shockerfan]

Re: What Commitments Go with an "Offer"?

I believe I have a good understanding in the difference and commitment between a player giving a verbal (or soft verbal) and actually signing.

I would like to know more about how an offer works and the commitment, legally or ethically, it makes on the university.

Example: A school is on the trail for players that are not in the immediate recruiting class. I notice how often schools may make offers to players, maybe even in excess of the schollies currently available to that class. Yes, I understand the idea of over-recruiting because "things change". It's not that part I have a question about. It has to do with offering a player a couple of years out, that player wanting to make an immediate verbal, there are only two schollies available, and the coaching staff has made offers to four other players (of which the player that wants to verbal is #5 on their wish list) and knows there are others they may want to offer after getting a better look.

Can the school pull the offer? If so, is this a readily accepted practice in recruitment or can it give the school/coaching staff a "bad name" in the recruiting wars?

This is a general question and does not have anything to do with any school or player. Merely an inquiry. Thanks.

Truthfully I am not 100% sure and may be off on this. If so someone will correct me.

I THINK that a verbal isn't really legally binding by either party. I don't think it becomes truely "binding" until the athlete signs a letter. And that is only good for 1 year I believe.

Seems as though we see this with recruits who verbal real early. I can't recall specific names/schools but it seems like I remember stories about kids who verbal REAL early and then change their mind by their senior year and then sign with a different school.

Again, I may be wrong though. Good questions!

[tropicalshox]

Schools can and do sometimes pull offers that have been accepted. Usually there is good cause. An example would be the player doesn't look like he is going to qualify. I believe this happened at Bradley a couple of years ago. I can't think of a school getting a black eye over pulling an offer.