SEC commissioner Greg Sankey wants to end Early Signing Period in December
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Greg Sankey says the current college football calendar is not working. The SEC commissioner told The Athletic that he wants to end December’s Early Signing Period.
The Early Signing Period, bowl prep and transfer portal windows made for an especially chaotic December 2022 in college football. Sankey told The Athletic that he sees more trouble ahead with College Football Playoff expansion and more December games.
“We’re crushing coaches in December,” Sankey told The Athletic Saturday. “We’re going to add Playoff games (in December). We have to change early signing.”
Last month, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops voiced support for changing the signing calendar:
“I was in favor, I was voting for the Early Signing Period. But, I think now, this month is so crazy,” Stoops said. “I don’t know. I think we just got to get together and have some great leadership and some discussions about how to improve this process.”
The Early Signing Period was first introduced in December 2017 for the 2018 recruiting cycle. This was before the NCAA transfer portal, which launched in October 2018. The 2022 season marked the beginning of windows for undergraduates to enter the transfer portal. The postseason transfer portal window opened on Dec. 5 while the Early Signing Period was held from Dec. 21 to Dec. 23.
News: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey calls for ending the early signing period.
Sankey tells @TheAthletic: “We are crushing coaches in December. … I would suggest we have to pivot back.” https://t.co/nrNcoBtmrS
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 8, 2023
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
