One of the biggest days in the life of a student athlete is National Signing Day. Signing Day marks the beginning of the signing period where student athletes pursuing collegiate athletics formally commit to their school by signing their National Letter of Intent. This document solidifies any athletic scholarships being awarded to the athlete along with the general agreement to be a part of the respective school and team. The contract, although not affiliated with the NCAA or mandatory at all colleges, serves the function of protecting athletes as well as schools from either side having a change of heart. 

November 10, 2021 begins the signing period for Division 1 and Division 2 sports, excluding basketball and football. Dates for those sports occur later in the year with D1 football (early period) and D1/D2 football (mid year junior college transfers) both beginning December 15, 2021 and D1/D2 football (regular period) opening February 2, 2022. The early period for D1 basketball begins November 10, 2021 and its regular period starts April 13, 2022. Signing can start on these days at 7:00 AM, no earlier. Division 3 athletes do not sign a national Letter of Intent; instead, they can sign a non-binding celebratory form. The window for signing this document is anytime after the prospective athlete has been academically admitted into the school. 

There are some advantages to signing as early as possible, either during the early period or at the beginning of the regular period. One obvious reason is to alleviate stress since signing the NLI ends the recruiting period. Senior year can be a lot to juggle and removing college decisions from the equation can be a big help. Since the NLI officializes any scholarship money, signing early could result in increased funding opportunities. Additionally, early signing can also show dedication which might solidify a starter spot on the team rather than on the bench.