Christmas has arrived early for college football fans this offseason. Despite recruiting news being a year round feature of the coverage calendar, we usually have to wait until later in December to find out for certain that the next star talent is officially signing with a program.
Not in the 2025 class. But, why is the Early Signing Period even earlier in this college football recruiting cycle?
College Football Recruiting: Why Is Early Signing Period Earlier in 2024?
The Early Signing Period for the 2025 college football recruiting class has arrived. For three days from Wednesday, Dec. 4 until Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, high school prospects can officially sign with their chosen college football program. It’s three weeks earlier than usual, accommodating changes in the college football calendar that aim to lighten a chaotic time of year for coaches.
December is arguably one of the most hectic months for everyone associated with college football. Conference championship games, bowl season, the College Football Playoff, traditional mainstays of the sport all take place in the final calendar month of the year.
MORE: 2024-2025 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
That’s before you even factor in the head coach hiring and firing carousel.
However, in recent years, there has been even more pressure piled on coaches and everyone associated with the sport. The college football transfer portal opens this season on Dec. 9, and as we’ve seen from the last two windows, there is an ever-growing number of players looking to improve their situation with a move to a new program for the upcoming season.
While seeking to alleviate some of the pressure on coaches, including from the expanded College Football Playoff, the main reason that the Early Signing Period for the 2025 college football recruiting class has been moved up three weeks is related to the transfer portal.
“The biggest reason we’re doing this is to clear up the football recruiting calendar so the signing period and the transfer period don’t overlap,” Tom Wistrcill (chair of the National Letter of Intent subcommittee) said earlier this year. “The feedback we’ve received from all coaches is that December is a mess.”
Important College Football Recruiting Dates
- Early Signing Period: Wednesday, Dec. 4 – Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
- National Signing Day: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025
- Traditional Signing Period: Wednesday, Feb. 5 – Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.