Signing Day’s Biggest Loser: The Fax Machine

After cheering along with hopeful football teams and eager players on signing day, we have one question: Why are the majority of universities still insisting on faxing National Letters of Intent?

A National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a legal and binding agreement between a college and a student-athlete. It states that the student will attend the chosen school for a year and the school will provide financial aid. Traditionally the NLI is signed by the student-athlete—and a legal guardian— then faxed to the student’s team of choice.

There’s just one thing—a fax machine is an outdated method of communicating that was invented even before the telephone in 1842.

Welcome to our digital world, where wet ink is not the only signature option. Today, digital signatures are accepted as a valid and legally binding, permanent and secure signature. E-signatures have changed transactions for almost 16 years now, and for some reason fax machines still catch a glimpse of the limelight in university settings.

On National Signing Day, football coaches across the country share the spotlight with a fax machine, to wait on promises from their new recruits. This year Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas were just a few of the teams named as “winners.” Each of these universities claim advancement, leadership, knowledge and transformation of the future within their university mission, values or vision, but each one waited on a fax machine to bring the news of their team’s future.

Of all the organizations in the country, you would expect a university to lead the way of technological advancement and transform National Signing Day. Especially because the signature that is most important on a letter of intent is being signed by a Gen-Z or Millennial who most likely uses cutting edge technologies to function in everyday life.

Although we can’t speak for the reasons why a wet ink signature and fax machine are still the chosen method on National Signing Day, we can encourage universities to stand by their mission and practice what they preach. How does National E-Signing Day sound? It’s ok to say “Hello” to e-signatures on National Signing Day. Even the Florida Gator’s fax machine is trying to send the message.

Congratulations to all of the athletes who have worked so hard for this day!

To learn more about the benefits of Independent E-Signatures™, download this free white paper.