In college basketball terms, a verbal (commitment) is an oral agreement between the player and a university indicating that the player will stop looking at other schools and that the coach can safely assume that he has landed his recruit. This is followed by the signing of a Letter of Intent. A verbal commitment is technically non-binding and has been the cause of much controversy in recent years, as athletes have begun to "de-verbalize" at a growing rate, causing consternation for coaching staffs and the NCAA.