Early Signing Period approaching for athletic scholarships
Posted by Jon Fugler on Tue, Oct 20, 2009 @ 05:23 PM
With the Early Signing Period coming up for most sports in less than a month (November 11-18), it's time to for a refresher on what this is all about and what it means to prospects.
The National Signing Dates are those periods of time when college coaches can sign high school seniors to a National Letter of Intent, which is explained by the NCAA:
"By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. Pursuant to the terms of the National Letter of Intent program, participating institutions agree to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete, provided he/she is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules."
The Early Signing Period next month includes basketball and most other sports. Excluded are Football, Field Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country and Men's Water Polo.
Once the Early Signing Period is over, coaches can continue to recruit but may not sign an athlete to a National Letter of Intent until the Regular Period, which varies depending on the sport. You can see the complete schedule for this year on the NCAA site.
What does it mean if you are not signed during the Early Period? Well, it probably just indicates you are not a blue-chip athlete, but by no means are your scholarship hopes dashed. There will be many more scholarships handed out during the Regular Period.
Continue to contact coaches and get on their radar. And, if you are already on their radar, build the relationships and pursue your scholarship dream.