Why Dabo Swinney agrees with 2024 early football signing day reportedly moving two weeks sooner
CLEMSON – Early National Signing Day has been moved up to Dec. 4 after the Collegiate Commissioners Association voted Wednesday, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
The new period will start the Wednesday before conference title games and run through Dec. 6, according to the report. After high school recruits sign, the transfer portal will open Dec. 9 for current players to move within the period. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is a supporter of the decision.
"Five years ago, I'd said Aug. 1," Swinney said. "I tried to push for that for years. I was for anything earlier than the portal signing, when the portal opens, just to give the high school kids an opportunity to sign before the portal opens."
The previous early signing day started on the third Wednesday of December, while the transfer portal was open for players to go to other schools, and teams were preparing for bowl games. This change will allow Swinney and his staff to focus their attention on recruiting then shifting it to the portal.
The CCA will also vote in June to decide whether to have three signing days, per Thamel. The proposed format would have signing days occur in June, November and February.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney: Clemson coach agrees with earlier football signing day
