Before I get into the description of what an NLI is, and what it entails, I will first define the concept of duress. According to Laurence Olivo and Jean Fitzgerald, the authors of Fundamentals of Contract Law, which is the course textbook for SPMA 4P86, duress is defined as "an unlawful threat or coercion used by one person to induce another to perform some act against his/her will."
Now that we have the definition of duress, we will take a look at what exactly an NLI is, and relate the two concepts.
Some people may think that athletes are forced, or coerced, to sign their NLI when they are in high school. With a large emphasis put on the recruiting process, and the recruitment of high school players to sign with particular universities, it's easy to see why people may think that athletes are being coerced into signing agreements with schools while they are still in high school. The fact that the NCAA states that the signing of an NLI is voluntary shows that players are not put in a state of duress when they do sign their agreements.
The student-athletes are given the freedom to sign wherever they see fit. There is the rare case when players are subject to an NCAA investigation as to whether or not they committed to a school after being persuaded by someone close to them in their lives. For example, I bring up the movie, The Blind Side, which was focused on the story of Michael Oher. Mr. Oher was found walking the streets alone by LeeAnn Touhy, before the Tuohy's took him into their house. Oher was enrolled in the local high school, with the Tuohy children, and immediately took up football because of his size and stature. Once he got the hang of the game, scholarship offers started to roll in for the offensive lineman. The Tuohy's had strong ties with Ole Miss University, which is where Oher ultimately signed to play his college career. Shortly after doing so, an NCAA investigation was launched into the recruiting process of Michael, and the role that the family played in his decision. After all was said and done, there was no evidence that Oher was forced into signing with the Rebels, and he was eligible to play for the football team.
There are certain situations like the one Oher found himself in when players sign their national letters of intent. One thing that the NCAA does well that helps to avoid any further issues down the road is not allowing any players to physically sign a contract or agreement before they at the age of majority. This helps to relieve the issue of players signing agreements as a minor, making things easier for all parties involved.
Based on the above information, it's clear that student-athletes are not signing their letters of intent in a state of duress.