Is National Signing Day WORTH Hyping?

National Signing Day is that day where prospective High School football players announce their college of choice. The fanfare and the anticipation of where they want to play their college football. Much ado is made of this deal. You know- is he playing for Texas, LSU, Florida, Alabama, or whoever? Let's set the mood with a picture:






^ from: media.charleston.net - National Signing Day means a lot to big-name colleges trying to sign star High School football recruits. Who will these recruits sign their Letter of Intent with?

To be honest, too much a big deal is made of this. This is a big deal obviously for the schools involved because the big-name High School recruits. Big name schools get the big name recruits. However, what if a five-star recruit considers Ohio State or Notre Dame... and chooses Eastern Michigan, Duke, UNLV, or Army? It is great to follow a High School star to become a star in college (and maybe in the NFL if he chooses to go into the National Football League). But, do we really NEED to hype up High School athletes like this?

So what's my problem with National Signing Day? It's media hype and extra pandering and exposure for big name schools and big name players just so ESPN can make some extra paper stacks (as in money). High School athletes obviously have a big choice to make in determining what school they want to play for. It's a huge decision for the High School athletes involved. However, if you're going to pick a big-name school (let alone any at all), it doesn't need to be hyped up on a day like National Signing Day. Don't make your choice much like LeBron James and "The Decision." Announcing your college of choice and signing that Letter of Intent shouldn't be an announcement-worthy, TV-worthy moment.

It is news when a certain professional player requests a trade or is drafted to a certain team. You can't just hype up a High School athlete like this on the college he chooses to go to and play football at like this. There is really no need to hype up college football like this, even if to make a quick buck. A High School athlete is still a student trying to get his way into college. And when he eventually gets to the college level, he will be trying to get his education while also prepping for the rigors of major college football. Enjoy National Signing Day because it will be where some of the top recruits will want to play ball in the future. However, too much of a big deal is made about National Signing Day. There is really no need to announce your intents like this. It is a big deal for colleges because the decision ultimately comes down to the students involved. However, there is no need to make National Signing Day like the NFL Draft.





To all the High Schoolers looking to play football in college, best of luck to you. National Signing Day is just really unnecessary to hype up and make a big deal out of. Whatever happened to just choosing wherever you want to go without having a lot of fanfare involved? That's just my opinion. What is YOUR opinion on this deal? Feel free to comment!

By the Way...

You can keep up with the National Signing Day (which is on February 2, 2011) action by visiting these sites (among others):

* ESPN's Coverage of National Signing Day
* Maxpreps.com coverage of National Signing Day


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