Colorado University Athletics
CCA Grants Approval To December Signing Period For Div. I Football
May 08, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — An early signing period for Division I football is now official after an NCAA proposal was approved Monday by the Collegiate Commissioners Association.
The first December signing period will begin this year and run from Dec. 20 to 22, the same three days that Division I schools can sign midyear junior college transfers.
The NCAA Division I Council approved the early signing dates in April, but the proposal needed the approval of the CCA, which controls the national letter of intent program. The CCA was originally expected to take the issue under consideration in June, but instead fast-tracked the proposal and approved it on Monday.
When the NCAA approved the early signing period, CU head coach Mike MacIntyre called it a "good step forward." MacIntyre has long been a proponent of an early signing period, but has also said he would ultimately like to see a signing period occur before the season, a system college basketball currently enjoys.
High school basketball players can sign national letters before their senior season begins, or they can wait until the second signing period after the season concludes.
The traditional February signing date for football will remain unchanged.
Other changes on the horizon for Division I football include changes to the official visit program, which will allow prospective student athletes to begin taking officials visits after April 1 of their junior year in high school.
That rule, however, won't go into effect until April 1, 2018. The additional period for official visits will run from April 1 until the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June of that year. Official visits can not, however, occur in conjunction with a prospect's participation in a school's camp or clinic.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
