Another high-profile coaching carousel could finally force a change in the wording of the National Letter of Intent, allowing high school seniors the option to move if the school they sign with fires its coach, he resigns or decides to leave for another school.

Greg Sankey, associate commissioner of the SEC and temporary head of the NLI committee, which is run out of the SEC offices, said he expects the wording of the controversial scholarship agreement to be on the agenda at the Collegiate Commissioners Association meeting in June. Sankey, who was the commissioner of the Southland Conference before going to the SEC, said the wording could go from a binding contract with little opportunity for recruits to change schools without penalty, to a document that allows a free market in certain cases.

No Signature Required

Don't sign the National Letter of Intent. That's the advice I would give a top recruit. That's the advice I'd give my son, if he were enough to be recruited by a Kansas, North Carolina, or even Ohio University. Instead, I would have him verbally commit to the school he chose and sign a scholarship (or financial aid) agreement that binds a school into giving him a scholarship. That's what Charlie Villanueva did last November and he now has every option available to him -- from signing with Illinois, another college, or skipping school altogether to enter the NBA draft. Signing a NLI is unfair to the recruit and his family because it locks the student-athlete into having to attend that institution regardless of who is coaching the team. In fact, there is bold print on the NLI that specifically points out that you are signing with the school and not the coach. So, in hindsight, signing in November made little sense for David Padgett or Omar Wilkes, both Kansas recruits who now face uncertain situations in Lawrence. A verbal commitment to the school, meanwhile, would have given each the flexibility to back out if there was a coaching change -- or the situation at the school changed. There is also a "dirty little secret" when it comes to the NLI, and that is it can be declared "null and void" if the student-athlete is not accepted for admission at the school he signs with. So, if mutually agreed upon by both parties, the student can be rejected for admission (provided he applies in good faith) and be free to choose another school without penalty. The NLI committee does have the jurisdiction to hear cases of appeal based on extenuating circumstances -- usually an illness or death in the family -- and reduce penalties. A number of student-athletes, however, in recent years have appealed and have been eligible to play immediately, based on a coaching change. I should know. I recruited Ashanti Cook to play at New Mexico, but when I left, he was allowed to transfer to Georgetown and play right away without penalty. Look for Mohamed Akubar, a top 50 player from San Diego who signed with Jim Harrick at Georgia and was recently released from his NLI, to play immediately next season. He is being re-recruited all over again. Fran Fraschilla, ESPN.com

The CCA, an organization made up of the 31 Division I conference commissioners, controls the NLI wording and rulings, not the NCAA office in Indianapolis. The NCAA doesn't even address questions about the NLI, referring all queries conerning the NLI, or any legislative changes to the CCA, to the committee's office at the SEC.

"There needs to be discussion on this," said Sankey, who is in charge of the NLI until a permanent director can be found. Former director Eugene Byrd left the position two months ago. "No change is an option, or some kind of complete freedom under the letter, which would be a total change from what we have now."

The issue of allowing signed recruits to be released from the commitments of the NLI isn't new, but has gained considerable attention in recent weeks with high-profile job changes occurring at UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, Georgia, Clemson and, most recently, Monday at Illinois. The fate of these school's recruits has been a hot topic.

Roy Williams, who went from Kansas to North Carolina, talked publicaly about the perception of the NLI being unfair, going as far as saying he wished Kansas recruits David Padgett and Omar Wilkes had at least the option of changing their minds after what had happened since each signed with Kansas last fall. Williams denied claims he was simply trying to recruit the pair to North Carolina (Padgett chose Kansas over UNC). Williams insisted he was simply pleading all recruits' cases in a public forum.

The current NLI rules say a player must file a formal appeal to an NLI committee, stating his reasons to void a signed NLI. Without such a waiver, penalties for breaking the NLI are harsh. The initial penalty for eligible players who break an NLI is sitting out two years and losing two seasons of eligibility. If the school where the player signs gives a qualified release agreement (meaning the school approves his departure) then the player's penalty is automatically reduced to one lost season of eligibility.

With two signing periods in college basketball, plenty can change between a recruit signing a NLI and arriving on campus nearly a year later. The "late" spring signing period began last week and runs through mid-May. But both Padgett and Wilkes -- as well as the majority of blue-chip recruits -- sign letters during the "early" week-long November signing period before their senior seasons.

Six months later, after the college season has ended, the coaching carousel starts spinning. Players, meanwhile, are left bound to NLIs.

Sankey, however, said only a handful of players have appealed within the past few weeks to the CCA to get out of their NLIs. When pressed, the number was actually just two. And, each player had signed with Georgia -- Jordan Howell of Madison, Ala., and Mohamed Abukar of Escondido, Calif. -- prior to Jim Harrick's resignation amid alleged academic scandal

Georgia cooperated and gave both Howell and Abukar their release from NLIs. The next step for both Howell and Abukar is to follow up their release with an appeal to the NLI steering committee for complete removal of any penalties. The SEC has a rule prohibiting players from moving within the conference, but that could be appealed. If granted a waiver by the NLI committee, each could play next season for new schools.

The major obstacle facing recruits, as Sankey points out, is the NLI specifically states that the recruit is signing with the institution, not the coach. Thus the difficulty of granting waivers to recruits. Just four players got out of NLI and avoided any penalties last year.

Kennedy Winston signed with California, but ended up playing at Alabama after citing extenuating circumstances (family illness and need to be close to his Alabama home). The other three notable waivers were granted to players who suffered through coaching changes.

Andre Iguodala signed with Arkansas, but once Nolan Richardson was fired, asked out of his letter. He won an appeal and played as a freshman for Arizona this past season. Ashanti Cook signed with New Mexico under Fran Fraschilla, but once Fraschilla was out as coach, Cook went to Georgetown, won his appeal and played for the Hoyas. The same thing happened for Armondo Surratt. He signed with Fresno State, but then Jerry Tarkanian retired, and Surratt ended up playing at Miami last season.

At least one head coach on the West Coast says the language in the NLI has to change. He didn't want to give his name, but like Williams, speaks for several coaches.

"The player signs with the head coach, not the school," said the coach. "The school isn't recruiting that kid. What if the new coach has a new system that doesn't fit that player's style? That's not fair to him. There has to be a period where the recruitment is opened up for a brief period."

But, while it may be fair to the player, such a open re-recruiting period could create chaos within college basketball. A number of coaches feel that if the NLI's wording is changed, and players can move freely like the coaches, then the new coach could start his job with a depleted roster.

"You'd have a guy scrambling to fill his roster if he didn't get his four or five recruits that were signed," Wyoming coach Steve McClain said. "The new coach deserves a chance. Most of the time, if the kid really doesn't want to go to the school then the school is going to release him. They're not going to force him. But remember, you're spending the schools money and time to recruit this player. You've got to remember who pays for it and that should come into play if they should get out of the letter."

"If the recruit says why does he have to go, then why should Keith Langford at Kansas have to stay if he came to Kansas because of Roy Williams," McClain said.

	“	The easy thing to say is if the coaches are free to move then why not the players? We can't allow that to happen. Kansas lost one of the great coaches in Roy Williams but got Bill Self and might not skip a beat. But if you lose all their recruits then that would devastate the program. The departure of one coach doesn't devastate a program. But losing players does. ”
		— Jim O'Brien, Ohio State head coach

One difference is a current member of a team doesn't have to stay. He has the option to transfer, unlike a signed recruit, who is obligated to playing at least a season at the school whose NLI he signed. A player already at the school can transfer with minimal penalty. Players who transfer from one Division I school to another are forced to sit a year.

"The easy thing to say is if the coaches are free to move then why not the players?" Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien said. "We can't allow that to happen. Kansas lost one of the great coaches in Roy Williams but got Bill Self and might not skip a beat. But if you lose all their recruits then that would devastate the program. The departure of one coach doesn't devastate a program. But losing players does."

O'Brien added that players should at least go to the school they signed with, give the program and coach a chance, and then if they don't like their situation transfer -- something that happens quite often.

"You are signing with the university," O'Brien said.

Still, there isn't a consensus on whether a recruit should be allowed to follow his coach to his new school. O'Brien's solution is to add an addendum to the NLI that states, "if this person is the coach then I'll sign the letter. Something like, 'As long as Roy Williams is the coach (as an example) then I'll stay, but if he leaves then this is null and void.'"

Would one signing period in the spring be a solution? Possibly. College football doesn't have nearly as many perceived problems, mainly because most college football coaching searches are completed by early January. The one football signing period is in February.

Basketball coaches, and players for that manner, like having an early signing period because it comes on the heels of the summer recruiting season. Racking up commitments in November means less recruiting of high school seniors during the season. Teams can, in turn, concentrate on recruiting high school juniors in the winter.

"It would drag out the whole recruiting process," O'Brien said of a single spring signing period.

"The answer is to not sign the letter of intent," McClain said. "Just sign a scholarship agreement (non-binding) with the coach and tell him you'll sign in the spring if he's there."

A scholarship agreement may be a prudent approach, at least until the NLI's wording is altered.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.