Early Signing Period for Football?

This is a great thing. Should be good for any team not in a recruiting hotbed. Especially teams that put a lot of effort into recruiting, and have the resources to put towards it. i.e. Nebraska.

 
As expected, the Collegiate Commissioners Association’s meetings Wednesday and Thursday at Big Ten headquarters to discuss the early signing period portion of the NCAA’s recruiting reform package failed to produce any final resolution.

On Oct. 6, the NCAA Division I Council unveiled components of a new model for football recruiting, proposing major cutbacks and restrictions to satellite camps, the introduction of two new early signing periods and changes to the official visit calendar. The satellite camp restrictions and changes to the recruiting calendar would be significant modifications on their own and will eventually be voted on by Council, but most of the attention has been focused on new 72-hour signing windows that would open on the last Wednesday in June and at the time of the mid-December junior college signing period.

The CCA controls the national letter of intent and when recruits can officially sign with a school, and Wednesday and Thursday was the first time the Division I conference commissioners were in the same room together to discuss the proposed early signing windows.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who is chair of the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee, a group that helped formulate the recruiting reform package, said progress wasn’t expected this week but the football playing leagues affirmed there needed to be changes to the recruiting environment. But while there is agreement that change is needed to the recruiting process, not all of the conferences seem to be on board with idea of prospects being able to sign in mid-June.
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ESPN

 
They should eliminate signing dates entirely. By making an offer fully acceptable on the day it's received, the entire process would slow down. Coaches would wait much longer to offer 90% of players, and players would know who truly wants them versus who is slow playing them.

 
Why the F*** would they make the early signing period in June instead of something like August or September 1st???

 
BigRedBuster said:
Why the F*** would they make the early signing period in June instead of something like August or September 1st???
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I think late June or early July isn't a bad idea. Allow OVs starting either in the spring semester or May 1. Then the signing after that. Then it gives the coaches a month or so "off" before fall camp begins.

 
Yeah, I thought earlier the talk was about an August signing period. Not sure when that changed to June.

If there is going to be a June period, hopefully there are at least OVs allowed in June with the signing period at the end of the month. But I still think visits all summer with a signing period right before Labor Day would make more sense.

My personal preference - other than letting guys sign whenever they want - would be to allow visits during the spring semester of their Junior year. I guess maybe after NSD so mid-February to mid-May. They could get to campus and watch practice or the spring game. Then sign that summer if they were ready.

 
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My feelings is that if we are going to have an early signing period, it needs to be right before their senior season starts. They can then concentrate on school and their season without the hassle of recruiting. The college team can have a portion of their class locked up and they can concentrate on finishing it off.

My problem with making it even earlier is that the earlier you make it, the bigger chance something is going to change with the program. I know it seems like a couple months from June to August isn't that big of a deal. But, it still can cause problems when a kid is basically signing a commitment with long term ramifications basically right when he finishes his junior year.

My preference would be to have official visits start Mid February and run through June. Have a dead period in the Month of July to give coaches time off. Have a period the first couple weeks in August where coaches and recruits can communicate freely. Then, a week of dead period and a signing day. Then, it starts up with the season and official visits can start up again to come watch games..etc.

 
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BigRedBuster said:
My problem with making it even earlier is that the earlier you make it, the bigger chance something is going to change with the program. I know it seems like a couple months from June to August isn't that big of a deal. But, it still can cause problems when a kid is basically signing a commitment with long term ramifications basically right when he finishes his junior year.
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I've been wondering this since this topic has come up the last couple years but I've never really seen it talked about on the national scene:

Is there going to be some sort of out for the kid if the coach gets fired or something like that? Right now, basically all the head coaching changes and most of the assistants change before NSD. I realize that's part of the deal with signing early but that won't keep some from making a big stink over it. Just wonder how much that is being thought through.

 
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