The Non-Committable Offer Hustle

The Business of False Hope 🏀

You’ve seen the posts. Another high school prospect, beaming in a graphic, announcing an "offer" from a Division I program. The comments flood in—congratulations, fire emojis, “next up” proclamations. But here’s the question nobody asks: Is it real?

Because in today’s recruiting game, an offer isn’t always an offer. Welcome to the world of non-committable offers—where perception outpaces reality, and young athletes chase illusions instead of real opportunities.

Once, an offer meant something. A coach extended it, a player accepted it, and that was that. Now? A non-committable offer holds the weight of a politician’s promise—sounds good, means nothing. Schools throw them around to keep tabs on players, build “relationships,” and stay in the mix without actually committing.

And kids—young, eager, often misled—collect them like trophies, unaware that the same schools hyping them up might never have a real spot for them.

Colleges play this game for a reason. Some like a player but aren’t ready to take him. Some want to keep options open in case their real targets go elsewhere. Some do it for PR—offering a local kid looks good, even if there’s no plan to sign him. And then there’s the power move: baiting a player with interest so he stalls on committing to a mid-major that actually wants him.

But it’s not just college coaches playing this game. AAU directors have mastered it too. They don’t just sell interest—they use real, non-committable offers as bait. And the worst part? The player doesn’t even have to play a game first.

They’ll tell a kid, “We got you an offer from D1 State University. They’re waiting on you, but you need to run with us.” No tryout, no film review, just the promise of an opportunity—one that’s never been real to begin with. The offer exists, but it’s just a placeholder, something the college throws out to track a player without any real commitment behind it.

And the AAU team? They win either way. The player sees the D1 name, believes the hype, and joins. The program gets another talented kid to stack the roster. By the time the player realizes the offer was never actionable, it’s too late.

To be fair, not every non-committable offer is worthless—if a player knows how to use it. Some turn it into leverage, getting mid-major schools to move faster. Others take it as a challenge, improving their game until the school makes it real. Some just benefit from the optics, making other programs take notice.

But here’s the problem: most kids don’t treat it that way. They mistake attention for commitment. They hold out for a "dream school" that never comes through. They waste real opportunities while chasing ghosts.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Who doesn’t want to post an offer from a Power 5 school? But when the signing period rolls around, those offers vanish. The player, once convinced he had choices, finds out he has none.

High school kids—and their parents—need to stop treating offers like collectibles and start treating them like contracts. If you can’t commit to it, it’s not real. If a coach dodges when you ask, you have your answer.

Recruiting is business, and in business, some people sell dreams while others deliver reality. The kids who sign—the ones who actually make it—are the ones who understand the difference.

So the next time you see a “blessed to receive an offer” post, ask the only question that matters: Can you commit today? If the answer is no, that’s not an offer. It’s a story. And stories don’t get you on the roster.