Should National Signing Day be eliminated?

Should college football eliminate national signing day?

On Monday, one week after SEC Media Days, a handful of the conference’s coaches took a ride through the ESPN carwash. They addressed a wide breadth of topics, from whether Les Miles and LSU were ever in the Everett Golson sweepstakes to if independent teams should be allowed to compete in the College Football Playoff. However, perhaps the most interesting topic broached was National Signing Day (NSD). Moreover: whether or not it should be abolished.

Next: SEC Programs Ranked By Statistical Greatness

Two coaches in particular, both of whom have done quite well on the recruiting trail recently, were in favor of eliminating the yearly spectacle. Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze and Tennessee’s Butch Jones both feel that ridding college football of NSD would benefit the sport.

Hugh Freeze in favor of getting rid of National Signing Day; whenever player commits, he signs binding LOI
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 20, 2015

Like Hugh Freeze, Butch Jones wants National Signing Day eliminated. “It would solve a lot of issues"
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 20, 2015

Given that both Jones and Freeze are exceptional recruiters who close well (Tennessee has had consecutive top-10 classes under Jones; Ole Miss back-to-back top-20 classes under Freeze), it begs the question: should the NCAA consider eliminating National Signing Day?

From a practicality standpoint, NDS makes very little sense and must be terribly frustrating for coaches. It turns recruiting into a two-part equation. One side is the chase. Coaches throw themselves and their programs at players, offering up pitches of escalating creativity in hopes of a commitment. If they land a player early then the game switches to holding onto said commitment until NSD – all while others work to steal him away. It’s The Old Man and the Sea, only instead of a giant marlin and sharks it’s a stud recruit and hungry coaches.

Should recruits wait until NSD, the game is more of an auction. Pitches, promises, and gifts are offered in exchange for a signature. Coaches can be held hostage, and must construct their classes so as to have a backup plan in case the anchor changes his mind at the 11th hour. Though they must also keep a roster trim enough so some players aren’t threatened by competition. It’s tap dancing on a razor.

Jones is correct in his assertion that binding letters of intent (LOI) immediately upon commitment would “solve a lot of issues.” For one, grayshirting and over-recruiting would likely drop. Coaches won’t have to worry about last-minute changes of heart and therefore won’t have to stack classes with fallback plans. Secondly, impermissible gifts might drop. Player payment will always be part of the game, but without a prolonged courting period the potential for a bidding war decreases. Finally, player entitlement may drop a bit as well. As coaches get more desperate they turn into used car salesmen and blow smoke. If there’s less a chance of 30 hungry recruiting coordinators telling a guy he’s the second-coming, then perhaps the ego remains at a manageable level.

And yet, while impractical for coaches, NSD is invaluable for the NCAA. Sports today is as much about relevancy away from the field as it is competition on it. Let’s call it the NFL model: stay in the public’s consciousness and create as much engagement for as long as possible. For The Shield it’s parlaying the preseason into regular season into postseason into the Super Bowl into the combine into the draft into free agency into OTAs into training camp into the preseason … Control the headlines.

NSD is a marketing tool for college football, not to mention a moneymaker for the outlets that cover it. It bridges the gap from January’s championship game to spring contests. In the greater scheme of football, it comes right on the heels of the Super Bowl. It is rebirth. Fans cope with the conclusion of professional football by watching high schoolers transition to college. The future stars. NSD kicks off the football calendar.

Players act out elaborate reveal parties all while fluid recruiting boards rise and fall throughout the day. It’s manufactured drama, yet is wholly compelling. NSD offers fans another chance to trash-talk their rivals and starts building anticipation for the following season.

While eradicating NSD may take some of the stress off coaches, it’s too good for business to ever go by the wayside. Such is the promotional nature of sports in the 24/7 news cycle: the build up, anticipation and fallout generate more interest than the games themselves. In this case the hype machine is too great.

Should college football eliminate national signing day?

More from College Football