National Signing Day is a mess. Coaches leaving for millions leaving kids stuck at a school where their scholarship might disappear is a joke. The prick at Louisville pulling an offer 48 hours before signing day. Yeah I know the pricks name but I am choosing not to give him any more press.
The NCAA is a mess on so many levels. Many of these levels are extremely complicated to fix. National Signing Day is not one of these complex issues.
I have read several articles talking about how everyone in the system knows that the offer can be pulled at any time and for any reason. I also understand that many offers have strings attached to them. If guy A goes to school B we will offer you X and so on.
I have also read articles about moving signing day or having an early signing period. These ideas will only make the mess bigger.
The concept of a coach wanting to put together the best team possible is a very logical idea. These same coaches having to offer 20 guys to fill 12 spots is also a very logical idea. A national day that these contracts become binding makes sense.
This is where the NCAA loses me.
If we have a multi million dollar industry based on ranking and rating these players why are we not using it in signing these players?
Coaches use it to help compare players and the media uses it determine who has the best class.
So, why don’t we use those rankings to sign these players?
The NFL Draft has rounds for acquiring new talent. The NCAA should follow the lead of the pros. Now I am not saying there should be a draft where the 0-12 northwestern state tech fighting clowns get to pick first to help balance out talent.
I am saying that on day one of national signing day only 5 star players can sign. If we give these guys 3 days to put ink to paper ever school can redo their draft board going into the next round where only 4 star guys can get signed. There are more 4 star guys so let’s say they get 4 days to sign. The start of week two will be 3 & 2 star players. Finally in week three anyone 1 star and under can sign.
Once the final day of the three week signing period is over no more scholarships can be handed out to new players. If a team has any leftover money they can increase the scholarship to anyone who played on the previous seasons team that is in good academic standing going into their sophomore or greater season.
If a 4 or 5 star guys chooses not to sign during his period he can not accept a scholarship that season. The same goes for the lesser players but it is the top tier players that need to be accounted for the most in this model without any room for loopholes.
This system would eliminate the need to attach strings to player offers. Yes, a coach could offer every 5 star guy but if it is known that you have only three days to get the best players there would be a premium on getting your guy to sign as soon as the clock started. It would force both player and coach to show more of their hand sooner.
I would also allow players to sign early in the 5 star group but with the condition that once an offer is made it is valid until the start of that players signing period or until he submits a letter of refusal.
I would also limit coaches to offering no more scholarships than he has available during each period.
If player A wants to go to school B it is in both of their interests to sign early to help shape the path that needs to be taken for that class.
I am sure there are flaws in this plan but it has to better than what we have now.
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