National Signing Day

[danefan]

Just an FYI guys...tomorrow is National letter of intent Signing day for Division I football.

 

Now in the past, the university has not taken a Division I attitude towards National Signing, sometimes waiting for weeks to release the names of commits.

 

I would love for Media Relations to really step it up this year and get these signees some attention. After-all that is really what National Signing day is about.

 

I'm hopeful........

[danefan]

Here's an idea.

 

How about a free webcasted press conference on Danezone announcing the new class.

[danefan]

In order to give some of you a taste of what it's like at the top of the FCS world, I post this from a thread over on AGS about "Signing Day Activities"

 

Montana has a fairly sizeable gathering at a hotel in the early evening. The head coach discusses each recruit and shows a short video on each. The event includes appetizers, drinks and mingling with the coaches. All of the coaches, and sometimes a few spouses, attend, and are introduced. Monte the mascot usually/sometimes attends. it's a nice and fun event.

 

Due to the large number of scholarships available this year (about 25), the event is going to last a long time. Last year, there were less than 10 scholarships available, and some had already been given to transfers like Quinn, the Oklahoma transfer.

 

A few fans from outside the Missoula area come to the event, often driving several hours. The mingling continues after the event at some of the downtown bars, either with or without some of the coaches.

 

Prior to the evening event, there's a QB Club lunch and early afternoon press conference. I think the press conference has been streamed in the past, but perhaps I'm not remembering correctly. The recruit video is posted on the athletic website. There's already been a short coaches video, discussing recruiting in general, posted on the website.

 

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/show...mp;postcount=10

 

Sounds pretty much like what we do right?

[danefan]

Great. No sign of anything from UA, but once again other NEC teams beating us to the punch:

 

http://www.ccsubluedevils.com/ViewArticle....;ATCLID=1383878

 

Time to start acting like a DI football program if you want to be treated like one.

[danefan]

I just threw up.....Bryant announced their class (picture and all)!

 

http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/fball...RecruitSignings

 

 

For those of you who don't know, Bryant will be joining the NEC in 2012 after a five year transitional stage to Division I.

[danefan]

Monmouth:

http://www.gomuhawks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?...;ATCLID=1383884

 

 

THEY HAVE A FREAKING VIDEO OF THEIR SIGNEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[danefan]

Sacred Heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

http://sacredheartpioneers.cstv.com/sports.../020608aaa.html

[danefan]

Stony Brook:

 

http://goseawolves.cstv.com/sports/m-footb.../020608aac.html

[UAalum72]

We're still waiting for a handful of letters, so maybe late Thursday or Friday.

 

Whether it will be more than a press release on the web site is another question. With two home basketball games and being tour guides for 1,100 fifth-graders the staff was stretched today anyway.

[danefan]

We're still waiting for a handful of letters, so maybe late Thursday or Friday.

 

Whether it will be more than a press release on the web site is another question. With two home basketball games and being tour guides for 1,100 fifth-graders the staff was stretched today anyway.

 

Every school is waiting for a handful of letters. These lists aren't finalized. It is part of the DI football show. Sorry, I got the same responses from the admins too and those excuses just don't fly IMO.

[danefan]

And just so everyone knows....we are one of only FIVE schools in the entire nation at the FCS level that offers athletic scholarships and has not released their signing class!

 

http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article...articleid=90152

 

The other four:

Duquesne

Robert Morris

Saint Francis

Wagner

 

Conferences that don't offer scholarships do not participate in the National letter of intent day: Patriot, Ivy, Pioneer and former MAAC schools.

[Clickclack]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we go through this ever year. The athletic department makes no effort to make this an event. Why are we surprised?

[danefan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we go through this ever year. The athletic department makes no effort to make this an event. Why are we surprised?

 

 

I'm not surprised. Each year we add more and more scholarships and each year we claim to be more and more of a DI football program.

 

Well guess what, each year on National Signing Day we look like a DIII football program.

 

You want people to be interested in your program, you have to do it all year long. Covering the football program four months a year is not how a DI football program works. You can't get 10,000 butts in seats with four months of coverage.

[alum73]

I'm not sure how coming out with the list a few days later, makes that much of a difference. You don't share the spotlight with everyone else.

[danefan]

I'm not sure how coming out with the list a few days later, makes that much of a difference. You don't share the spotlight with everyone else.

 

 

You're right. You don't share the spotlight because by that time the spotlight is off.

 

In my mind (and maybe its just my mind...that's up for debate of course) but there are certain things that make you a division I program. Some things we just don't do and this is one of them. Its not like this is a new thing guys. Programs have been doing this for years. Its a way to give you recruits some spotlight and to keep your alumni and fan base interested in the program in the off season.

 

When national signing day rolls around every year alumni and fans of programs are waiting for the recruits to be announced. But us. We wait until two weeks later to find out. It just smells of DIII.

 

Sorry, your opinions may differ, but I know I'm not alone in my sentiments.