Good Question: When did the college football ‘early signing period’ start?

(WKYT) — For today’s Good Question, a viewer asks: I’ve heard the early signing period referenced when it comes to hiring college football coaches. When did the early signing period start?

If it seems like there is more of an urgency to get a new coach hired than in past years, this is one of the reasons.

In 2017, the NCAA voted to allow an early signing period for student athletes to take place in December.

The idea was by signing early it allowed athletes to lock in their decision. They would no longer have to worry about recruiting as they finished their high school careers.

The original early signing period came closer to the end of the month. This year’s is December 3 through 5.

What that means is if you are a school making a coaching change, waiting until the end of the season