Recruiting starts earlier every year and gets more coverage every year. Those trends combine to bring a record number of decommitments every year, annoying fans and coaches, but apparently not conference commissioners. The American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) has brought forth legislation to institute an early signing period in late December that almost three-quarters of I-A coaches support, but the conferences ain't having it:
"It wasn't that close a vote," SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who attended the vote at the NCAA convention, told The Associated Press. "I would say for now an early signing period is done. I wouldn't want to suggest there's not another idea out there. But there's not one that's been identified at this point."Sankey goes on to say "When you start breaking it down and dissecting it, you say, 'That's not going to work. That's not going to work. That's not going to work,' " without actually providing any justifications. Why, exactly, is a late-December signing period impossible to work with? Why can basketball have an early period in which the vast majority of recruits sign, but not football? Why go against something that 73% of coaches support?
No answers are provided. Lame.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
So, does anyone know reasons the conferences may be against it?
I'm against an early signing period, but obviously would love to know the reasons the conferences reject it as well. Can't hurt to get things in the open.
Personally the problem I see with an early signing period is it locks kids in before all coaching changes have been made. The NCAA is notoriously inflexible at accommodating exceptions to its rules, so I see some tremendous peril there.
Recruiting is often an ugly business, but at the end of the day the involved parties should lean in favor of the kids wherever possible.
Plus I think the longer the delay to sign the better, everyone's flaws get revealed, the bowls are played, coaches are hired/fired, more information can really help decisionmaking, however frustrating the prolonged signing period is.
Aren't basketball players typically released from their LOIs upon coaching changes, though? This would seem reasonable for football players as well.
I'm guessing the power conferences don't want this because they're the ones who typically benefit when a "committed" recruit changes his mind.