6:36 PM
The early signing period for recruiting may be changed, according to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
The American Football Coaches Association is talking about changing the signing period to allow prospects to sign with schools in December rather than on the first Wednesday in February, according to Bowlsby.
The accelerated recruiting calendar has led to more coaching changes during the season and early hirings to get new coaches in place for recruiting, according to administrators and coaches. There are 22 new coaches in the current cycle.
Bowlsby said that there were more early departures than before. There's more talk about moving it to after the first of the year or getting rid of it altogether. We'll see how that goes.
Bowlsby chaired the football oversight committee when the early signing period began. He said the intent was to help athletes and their families, who should be consulted about possibly changing the timeline again.
Bowlsby said that he had heard people talk about moving it to February and another one later. I've heard people talk about it after the national championship game. I've only been in touch with a few coaches.
Things have changed since the early signing date was put in. The transfer portal didn't exist at the time. We're going to have to go back to the reason we put it in place and ask if that's still valid.
The impact on coaching changes was seen as far back as 2009, when a white paper was produced about the potential effects of an early signing date.
Sankey said the hiring cycle accelerated because you have to have your class in place by mid-December. Is it possible to change the signing date again? I'm not sure. We might have let the toothpaste out of the tube.
Sankey doesn't like an earlier signing date in the summer because it would prompt recruits to change their minds. The summer signing date would reduce the amount of time off coaches receive.
Sankey said there was something sensible about February. You were through the hiring process. After signing day, you rarely had coaching changes. There was relevance to that.
