What National Signing Day is Really All About

Wednesday, February 4, 2015, is college football’s national signing day. National signing day is a day that in the past used to be overlooked by the national media, now it’s one of the most hyped days of the entire college sports calendar.

National signing day is the day that all recruits officially sign their letter of intent and let it be known which school they will be playing college football at for the next three or four years. It’s a day that changes the lives of young kids, their families and the future of hundreds of college football programs.

In the past I never understood why people didn’t take national signing day as serious because after all, this is the day where you stock up on talent that eventually leads to how well you perform on Saturdays. The massive increase of social media use, numerous sports networks and a higher demand to win right away in today’s college athletics, has changed how national signing day is perceived.

Today, national signing day is a day that is treated as a holiday of such to college football fans. For as long as I can remember, I have always looked forward to an entire day full of national signing day coverage because of the draft like feel it gives to fans.

In a way I look at national signing day as a huge draft where instead of college athletes go pro, high school athletes go to college. It’s the one day where your respective team's roster changes drastically in just a short period of time.

In today’s world of social media we get the insights on more top high school recruits than we ever have before. In the land before social media we really didn’t have much of an idea until they officially announced on national signing day, but now we basically know where each athlete plans on signing before national signing day ever arrives.

I do miss the older times where it was more of a mystery with lots of suspense as we sit and wondered exactly where each top recruit would land. In today’s instant access and information world that has gone by the way side.

So, as you enjoy national signing day this Wednesday remember that this is a life changing day for thousands of athletes and your favorite team. This should be a day of celebration as you look forward and welcome in the future of your program. It’s a great time for everyone involved and maybe, just maybe you are on the verge of signing that next big recruit that will bring a national title to your favorite college football team and town.