What happens on the first day of the signing period?
Athletes can sign with their preferred school on any day during the signing period. Signing Day is only the first day of the signing period. Seniors in high school might choose to graduate a semester early in order to begin college one semester earlier. These players would be considered juniors in college and could sign on that date as well. The earliest date a player can sign with a Division I program is January 15. Programs are allowed to have additional days after this date to add additional signatures. Some programs may have a second signing period if they fail to meet their enrollment target by the initial signing period deadline. Players who sign with a school outside of the signing period (i.e. before January 20 or after May 25) are not eligible to play right away. They must wait until the next recruiting season to compete for a spot on the team. Even if they were to impress coaches enough to make the roster, they would not be able to play until the following year because of NCAA rules regarding freshmen athletes. Division II and III schools do not have a formal signing period. However, it is very common for players to sign with these schools around National Signing Day in February. Often, these players will join Division I schools later in the spring when they open their doors to students for the summer months.