SEC commissioner Greg Sankey wants to end Early Signing Period in December
Greg Sankey says the current college football calendar is not working. The SEC commissioner told The Athletic that he wants to end December’s Early Signing Period.
The Early Signing Period, bowl prep and transfer portal windows made for an especially chaotic December 2022 in college football. Sankey told The Athletic that he sees more trouble ahead with College Football Playoff expansion and more December games.
“We’re crushing coaches in December,” Sankey told The Athletic Saturday. “We’re going to add Playoff games (in December). We have to change early signing.”
Last month, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops voiced support for changing the signing calendar:
“I was in favor, I was voting for the Early Signing Period. But, I think now, this month is so crazy,” Stoops said. “I don’t know. I think we just got to get together and have some great leadership and some discussions about how to improve this process.”
The Early Signing Period was first introduced in December 2017 for the 2018 recruiting cycle. This was before the NCAA transfer portal, which launched in October 2018. The 2022 season marked the beginning of windows for undergraduates to enter the transfer portal. The postseason transfer portal window opened on Dec. 5 while the Early Signing Period was held from Dec. 21 to Dec. 23.
News: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey calls for ending the early signing period.
Sankey tells @TheAthletic: “We are crushing coaches in December. … I would suggest we have to pivot back.” https://t.co/nrNcoBtmrS
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 8, 2023
I don’t know about this. Most of the kids that sign early have been committed for quite some time. Major program coaches are making millions. They should be able to figure something out. Most seem to have done just that.
It also allows them to enroll early and join the team for bowl practice, which is very beneficial in their growth as a player and being more ready to play as a Freshman.
Then move early signing day to August. It’s specifically December that’s the problem.
August wouldn’t make sense at all. Early enrollment for a high school kid happens for the Spring semester which begins in January.
Grades are an issue in August as the kids senior year hasn’t started yet. By December, the coaches have a pretty good idea as far as who is in good standing to graduate.
For an early enrollee, the whole calendar moves up. To a kid graduating in December, August is what February is to a kid graduating in June. A scholarship commitment is still conditioned on passing grades and acceptable test scores. Only out for a kid that signs in August would be if there’s a change in the head coach.
For those kids still planning to graduate in June, the February signing day still works OK.
Making millions does not buy you a 25th hour in the day. There’s still a tipping point of a coaches capacity to manage bowls/playoffs, recruiting portal players, keeping players out of the portal, recruiting high schoolers, hiring/firing staff….
Why would you need a 25th hour? Look at the recruiting rankings and it doesn’t look like anything has changed. The top teams are still the top teams.
Also, the coaches can only spend four hours max each day with their players. There are still 20 hours left. With support staff breaking down the film, I just don’t see this as that big of a deal.
Get rid of signing day in its entirety.
When a kid decides where he wants to go, sign him up. Year round.
Mr. Sankey appears to have his fingers on the pulse of most of the SEC coaches. That’s a good thing.
Greg Sankey what is best for the SEC & what is best for college football.
Yes even a barely mid-level SEC coach makes $6 million per year(See Drink @ Mizzou) but the time allotment of Bowl prep, Playoffs, roster management, the Portal does fill the hours of the day & night.
Four hours a day max with the players. That hasn’t changed even though I would guess that several coaches break that rule, at least on occasion.
I was originally all for the early signing period, but the end of season transfer portal madness has added too much activity to the month of December
Limit the December early signing day to high schooler’s graduating early and intending to early enroll so you keep the benefit for the kids that need it.
Don’t open the portal until the day after the last post season game.
Problem solved.
Actually I guess we need to keep a December portal so players can start the January semester. Start it the Monday after the end of the regular season and run it for two weeks.
I can see why coaches would want a little relief. They are recruiting three ways–portal, high schools, current players. On top of that, prep for a bowl game and advising players on whether to go pro. Most of that is time spent on phones, either calls or texts. It adds up.