Big changes could be coming to college football's recruiting calendar.
Per a report from The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, the NCAA is considering moving the early signing period up to the Wednesday of conference championship game week, which falls on Dec. 4 in the 2024 season. The signing period would last between three and seven days and would allow high school prospects to sign a National Letter of Intent before the transfer portal window opens the Monday after the College Football Playoff field is revealed.
The Collegiate Commissioners Association is also considering implementing a summer signing period in either June or August. If a summer signing period is implemented, athletes would have three separate chances to sign their National Letters of Intent, also including the traditional National Signing Day in February. Per the report, the subcommittee also hopes to make a change where transfer portal players can sign an NLI as well.
The FBS Football Oversight Committee is expected to discuss the potential implementation of a summer signing period next Wednesday and Thursday and could prepare a formal recommendation. The CCA then could meet to vote on potential changes to the recruiting calendar in early March.
Many college coaches have clamored for drastic changes to the recruiting calendar to help alleviate the burdens of a hectic December, primarily requesting the NCAA move up the early signing period, which distracts from bowl prep in its current timeframe. The CCA believes moving the early signing period up might help mitigate the recruiting chaos in December.
Per a report from Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger, the SEC is leading the charge to move up the early signing period with support from league coaches and administrators. The proposal also would implement a new dead period over the first 17 days of December, which would essentially make the entire month a dead period and eliminate the travel period that typically takes place leading up to the early signing day.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is also reportedly in favor of moving the transfer portal window and even potentially eliminating the December portal window, which would leave only one transfer portal window in the spring.
