Christmas comes early for college football fans. Signing day – always a welcomed gift wrapped in optimism for even the most high-strung fan bases – will take place in December this year.
The NCAA approved the addition of an early signing period from Dec. 20 to 22. Instead of waiting for the traditional annual signing day in February to start a flood of activity, programs like Utah can sign recruits to a binding National Letter of Intent (NLI) during that 72-hour period.
High school seniors still can sign later this winter (starting Feb. 7) and many will, but the early signing day has changed the landscape for coaching staffs like the Utes’.