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This is exactly what I fear is going to happen. You change the rule to "sign any time during senior year" and then you have a bunch of schools just up the recruiting pressure in junior year to get those early commits. On the plus side (for us, at least) you'd have a whole lot of late-bloomers who blow up senior year out there on the market with less openings at the factory schools. I guess I just like the idea of an available early signing period for those kids who just want to be done with it all, just like in hoops.Other than option 2, an early signing period, the article doesn't say anything about the earliest a recruit could sign an LOI. All this might end up doing is just pushing the whole process up a year and not really ending the practice of "commitments" at all. We could just end up with high school sophs making commitments and then the effective NSD (first day signing is allowed) being the spring following their junior year. Same drama, younger kids.
Other than option 2, an early signing period, the article doesn't say anything about the earliest a recruit could sign an LOI. All this might end up doing is just pushing the whole process up a year and not really ending the practice of "commitments" at all. We could just end up with high school sophs making commitments and then the effective NSD (first day signing is allowed) being the spring following their junior year. Same drama, younger kids.
I am not a lawyer. As such I don't understand how LOIs are enforceable. Many if not most of the kids that sign them are underage. In most states, people under 18 cannot sign legally binding contracts. If kids are allowed to sign at any time, you could have 13 year old 8th graders signing LOIs.(As some have reported that they received offers) I would find it hard to believe that courts would allow a contract signed by a 13 year old to be enforced.
Edit: I would be in favor of allowing any early signers to rescind their commitment in case of coach being fired (a school's own decision), but if the coach leaves the school has the choice to release or not.
Link
... elimination of signing periods
"Division I football oversight committee chairman Bob Bowlsby acknowledged in an interview with the AJC last week – that the committee is looking into it."
About time to make it official and pull the trigger.
IIRC, signing periods were initially created for that reason because kids were getting pressured to sign earlier and earlier in high school
Other than option 2, an early signing period, the article doesn't say anything about the earliest a recruit could sign an LOI. All this might end up doing is just pushing the whole process up a year and not really ending the practice of "commitments" at all. We could just end up with high school sophs making commitments and then the effective NSD (first day signing is allowed) being the spring following their junior year. Same drama, younger kids.