This week, college football teams will compete for conference championship games, with the winners of many of those matchups earning berths into the College Football Playoff and a place on the biggest stage their sport has to offer.
In reality, the groundwork for those successful seasons and championship runs was laid years earlier.
There are few days on the college football calendar that receive more fanfare and breathless coverage than national signing day, when the tireless, years-long recruiting efforts of a college football program and staff come to fruition as players sign documents that officially tie them to their future homes.
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That simple act of putting pen to paper still comes with pageantry. Players hold news conferences in which they put on the hat of their chosen destination. Live animals sometimes get involved. In 2024, it’s one of the few times someone will need to use a fax machine.
For years, signing day occurred in February, weeks after the previous season had ended, but in 2017, the NCAA instituted an early signing period so that schools could officially secure the services of their committed players before the end of the calendar year.
Though not all recruits sign with their programs of choice during the early signing period, it has effectively replaced national signing day, with more than three-quarters of prospects inking documents in December rather than February.
As it approaches once again, here’s what you need to know about the 2024 early signing period in college football:
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When is the 2024 college football early signing period?
The three-day early signing period will run from Wednesday, December 4 through Friday, December 6, wrapping up the day before the Power Four conferences hold their league championship games.
If it feels even earlier than it has been in recent years, it’s because it is.
Last year, it took place shortly before Christmas, from December 20 through December 22. The change was announced in March by the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which oversees and administers the National Letter of Intent program.
The move was made to alleviate some of the chaos that had overwhelmed the old schedule. In 2021, the NCAA allowed players to transfer once without the penalty of having to sit out a year, which led to a sharp uptick in players entering the transfer portal. In the ensuing years, the early signing period took place while the portal was open, leading to widespread criticism from coaches.
This year, the early signing period will wrap up before the window for players to transfer begins on December 9.
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College football recruiting rankings 2025
As the early signing period is about to begin, here’s a look at what programs have the top-ranked recruiting classes, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings as of Monday, December 2:
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1. Georgia (No. 1 SEC)
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2. Alabama (No. 2 SEC)
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3. Oregon (No. 1 Big Ten)
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4. Miami (No. 1 ACC)
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5. Ohio State (No. 2 Big Ten)
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6. Texas (No. 3 SEC)
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7. LSU (No. 4 SEC)
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8. Oklahoma (No. 5 SEC)
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9. Notre Dame (No. 1 independent)
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10. Auburn (No. 6 SEC)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is the 2024 college football early signing period? What to know
