The powers that be have moved up national signing day.

By a couple of weeks.

Whoop-de-do.

Come on, get serious. If the NCAA is going to move it, really move it.

College football coaches are already wringing their hands over the crowded December schedule. Only Santa has it busier, but he’s got no limit on the number of elves he can employ. Head coaches have to make do with 10 full-time assistants.

And moving the December signing period up to the Wednesday before the conference championship games and before the transfer portal window opens accomplishes very little.

Move it to August.

I’ve written that before and am stating so again. December is just too full already with conference title games, bowl game and College Football Playoff preparation, the transfer portal, shopping for the wife and kids, etc, etc.

Bohls: Ugh, is this what Texas baseball has to look forward to in the SEC?

Make a drastic change and let high school prospects decide in mid to late August. And for those of you who say that’s too close to the start of the season, then bump it up to July 31. We all know recruiting goes on year-round in some form or fashion, and I bet a third of recruits probably know by late summer where they want to go. Besides, NIL is a huge factor in that, and these collectives can offer millions in August just as easily as they can in December.

So mark your calendars and brace yourselves, America, for an early, early signing day this Dec. 4. But not early enough.

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ESPN reported the NCAA considered a proposal to add a third signing period in June, but they couldn’t reach a decision and will address at a later time.

So instead of the three-day signing window in December, give recruits the chance to sign in August and as usual again in February on — well, you know — the OG national signing day. That would at least take one thing off coaches’ overflowing plate.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: NCAA decision to move up signing day in December is bad for colleges