Alabama Football: NCAA Approves Early Signing Period For Football

After months of debate and consternation, the NCAA voted to approve a December early signing period for football. The NCAA also voted to prohibit the type of summer camps typically conducted by Alabama football.

After today Alabama football signing day will never be the same. No longer will several hours in early February determine the futures of Alabama football and its FBS counterparts. Beginning on December 20, 2017, high school players may sign binding national letters of intent with their chosen schools.

The futures of college football programs will be determined during a 72 hour December window AND again in February during National Signing Day – Part 2.

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The original proposal to revise signing day also included a June interval in addition to December and February. Most coaches, including Nick Saban and Urban Meyer were opposed to the June date. Some coaches also opposed the addition of December to the signing day cycle.

The new rule was developed by the Football Oversight Committee and was adopted by the Division I Council. Additional concurrence by the Conference Commissioners Association is required and expected. Here is the complete NCAA release NCAA Adopts New Recruiting Model.

What changes to expect from an additional signing day?

• Most schools will benefit from fewer surprises on the February signing day
• Late bloomer players, like Alabama football’s Josh Jacobs, may suffer. For those players whose senior high school season performance attracts increased interest, there will be fewer scholarships available in February. Alabama did not start recruiting Jacobs until January.
• Schools with the toughest academic standards will certainly suffer. As Stanford coach David Shaw argued, those schools need more time to measure high school academic performance.
• The earlier date increases the possibility that if a player chooses a school based upon a relationship with a certain coach, that coach may have moved elsewhere before the player’s enrollment.
• The schools likely to benefit the most are those outside the annual top 25 in recruiting. With two signing periods, that type school is less likely to have key players lured elsewhere by a late flip to a college football powerhouse.

Other new rules

• The anticipated increase of football assistants to 10 was also approved effective January 2018.
• The prohibition of “hiring individuals associated with prospects” was also approved.  SI’s Andy Staples explains the impact of this change

Nick Saban has been vehemently opposed to this change which will fundamentally alter player camps. Check out the video from a few days ago.

The world of college football did not agree with Nick Saban. Perhaps Saban is wrong. Yet his argument seems sound and not self-serving.

At the risk of being a homer, viewing this subject through crimson-colored glasses, was Alabama football doing the camp experience so much better than anyone else? Many high school coaches say just that. If that is true, was most of college football just jealous about a Crimson Tide advantage gained by hard work and excellence?

Next: Latest Alabama Football Depth Chart

We would love to hear your opinions on these NCAA rules changes, particularly the one impacting player camps and high school coaches. Check in with us on Facebook or Twitter.