In the ever-changing world of college football recruiting, the latest proposition might have gone out without more than a whimper.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger have reported that the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CAA) will likely vote against a June signing period. The proposed signing period would have gone into effect for the 2026 recruiting cycle next June.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, it drew opposition at the high school level from head coaches in massive recruiting states.
High school coaches in states like Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia were outspoken against adding a signing day in June. The June window would have begun in June of 2025 for the Class of 2026, according to Thamel.
The recruiting calendar has shifted multiple times over the years from a single signing day in February to having two signing periods over three months. The latest model has an early signing period in mid-December and the traditional signing day in February. Roughly 80-85% of prospects are opting to sign with their schools in the early period in recent years.
Given how big the month of June is for college football recruiting, this felt like a poor time to try and implement a summer signing day. June is a month when coaches host official visitors as well as camps.
If coaches and administrators want to make a change to the signing period, it might be time to go back to the drawing board. December is a tough time to hold a signing period with postseason football going on as well as roster management with the transfer portal window.