NCAA suggests major change to college football recruiting schedule

A new proposal from the NCAA would institute a huge shakeup to the college football recruiting calendar and the signing period

NCAA officials will meet this week to discuss a potential major change to the college football recruiting schedule, including an idea to create three separate signing periods, according to ESPN reporter Pete Thamel.

Should the motion be approved, the NCAA would implement new signing periods that are currently slated to begin on... 

• The final Wednesday of June
• Wednesday after regular season finale
• First Wednesday in February

The idea of an early signing period during the summer offseason month is new, and the existing Early Signing Period that takes place in the days before Christmas would be moved to just before the start of Bowl Season and the College Football Playoff.

The signing period in June would last for either three days or seven days, and the same is currently planned for the proposed December early signing period that opens after the last regular season game. The traditional signing period in February would expire on April 1.

The SEC is already on board with making structural changes to the football recruiting calendar after commissioner Greg Sankey noted the existing schedule seriously overworks football staffs and assistants, with the start of the postseason, the transfer portal coaching changes, and major recruiting dates all happening near each other.

"Putting signing day in the middle of December with playoff games no longer works," Sankey said recently. "Move it to early December, the Wednesday before [conference] championship games."

That, among other changes, could be in store when college football's key decision-makers meet to discuss the matter here soon.

(Thamel)

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