What is the CIS ‘letter of intent’ and who should sign it?

The CIS ‘letter of intent’ (LOI) program is a very recent phenomenon. Last year 14 or the 26 CIS football playing schools used the CIS letter of intent program. Here is a list of the schools:

Schools that used the CIS LOI in 2010

AUS
Acadia
St Mary’s
St Francis Xavier
QUFL
Montreal
Concordia
Sherbrooke
OUA
Toronto
Western Ontario
Queens
Ottawa
York
Canada West
Alberta
Regina
British Columbia

Schools that did not use the CIS LOI in 2010

AUS
Mount Allison
QUFL
Sherbrooke
Laval
McGill
OUA
Waterloo
McMaster
Guelph
Wilfrid Laurier
Windsor
Canada West
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Manitoba

It is important to note that the LOI is different from a ‘scholarship agreement’. CIS schools can offer limited amounts of financial support if you qualify (factors like grades come into play).

McMaster has already told CFC that they are using the CIS ‘LOI’ in 2011.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM AN OFFICIAL CIS DOCUMENT

40.10.7.1 Recruiting – Letter of Intent

40.10.7.1.1
A prospective student-athlete can formally declare his/her intention to attend a specific CIS member school during the upcoming academic year by signing a Letter of Intent (the minimum requirements, conditions, and obligations of a Letter of Intent are detailed in Policy 40.30.4).

40.10.7.1.2
Following the signing of a Letter and the posting of the prospective student-athlete’s name to the CIS Letter of Intent Registry, all CIS members are to discontinue further recruitment of the prospective student-athlete; CIS members are required to reference the CIS Letter of Intent Registry prior to contacting a prospective student-athlete.

40.10.7.1.3
It is at the discretion of a CIS member school to include the terms of Athletic Financial Awards within a Letter of Intent, however when included, the school is expected to honor those terms.

40.10.7.1.4
A Letter of Intent is null and void if the prospective student-athlete is not admitted to the CIS institution that they signed with, or if the student is not accepted into their academic program of choice (where applicable and noted on a student’s application for admission or equivalent), or if the student does not satisfy CIS Academic Standing Requirements.

40.10.7.1.5
A Letter of Intent can be nullified upon agreement by the student-athlete and the school in accordance with Policy 40.30.4.

40.10.7.1.6
In those instances where a Letter of Intent is not nullified and a student-athlete attends another CIS institution other than the one with which he/she signed, that student-athlete is unable to receive an Athletic Financial Award in their entering academic year.

LINK TO CIS SITE