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National Signing Day is dead. It has been for a while. There’s a strong chance those of you reading this didn’t realize it was happening today, Feb. 5. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone.
The advent of the transfer portal and December’s early signing period have made the traditional February date an afterthought. Nearly every top high schooler committed in December to get it over with and grab a roster spot. They can then focus on finishing their senior seasons or even graduate early and enroll in time for spring practice. Whatever the reason, the world’s done paying attention to them. The focus now is on the players entering the portal and their new destinations.
This change causes a part of me to worry about the future of the sport, but not because signing day is some sacred institution. The day has always mattered — and recruiting will always matter — for programs and fans, but it became a spectacle. Hat ceremonies from high school gyms is a recent phenomenon brought on by our insatiable demand for content.
No, I worry about the broader impact — of which signing day’s decline is but one part.
The transfer portal has already shifted the focus for many programs from high school recruiting to college recruiting. The portal offers the hope of an immediate fix compared to the mystery box that is any high school senior. College players are receiving extra eligibility from NCAA waivers, and landscape changes over NIL beg the question if eligibility rules will eventually exist at all.
Meanwhile, there’s been a steady decline in football participation among high schoolers going back nearly 20 years. It’s hard to imagine a possible scarcity of scholarships will reverse or even stop that decline. Not to make it sound like the sky is falling,…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/national-signing-day-as-we-knew-it-is-dead-and-its-decline-bodes-poorly-for-college-footballs-future/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2025-02-05 16:36:00
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