Actually, I think there are three options:
1. Unlimited release.
2. Restriction to Big 12 and teams on the schedule for next year.
3. Targeted restriction, particularly if funny business is suspected.
#2 should be the minimum. And likely #3 if the conditions call for it. We need our recruits to know that we are serious about building a program with top recruits.
From what I can gather (in 10 minutes of internet "research"), there is only a full release or no release. There is no formal ability to restrict where the recruit goes after being released. However, the NLI includes a recruiting ban that all other schools honor (in theory). The recruiting ban in particular
can be lifted without releasing the NLI. At that point, the school can wait and see how the recruiting develops before deciding on whether or not to release the NLI.
In practice, it seems a school will simply make it known to the recruit and other schools that they are willing to release the recruit from the NLI provided the new school isn't
fill in the blanks . They don't actually release them until the dust settles. And in theory, I believe the recruit could lie (or change their mind a second time), get released from the NLI, and then go to a "restricted" school. The catch is that a "restricted" school is very likely to honor the non-binding restriction made by the original school and not offer a scholarship to the recruit.
Note that conferences can have their own rules above the NCAA rules (e.g. as a member of this conference you agree that you will not give a scholarship to a recruit that had a valid NLI signed with another member of this conference within 2 years of said NLI). Breaking those rules would not be an NCAA violation, but a conference violation subject to conference penalties.
I think.
