Signing day is a big deal to your athletes, so make sure you’re prepared to give them the best experience possible. While not every press conference or signing day event will be featured on ESPN, it’s important that your program honors all the hard work that it took to get to this point. Here are three essentials every school should have before National Signing Day 2019.
1. Signing Day Calendar
This may seem obvious, but there are loads of different dates for various sports with early and regular periods — it can get quite confusing. Having the official NLI Signing Day 2019 calendar handy will help keep you and your athletes on track.
Here is the NLI Signing Dates for prospective student-athletes signing 2018-2019.
SPORTS |
INITIAL SIGNING DAY |
FINAL SIGNING DAY |
| Division I Basketball (Early Period) | November 14, 2018 | November 21, 2018 |
| Division II Basketball (Regular Period) | April 17, 2019 | May 15, 2019 |
| Division I Football (Early Period) | December 19, 2018 | December 21, 2018 |
| Division I & II Football (Midyear JC Transfer) | December 19, 2018 | January 15, 2019 |
| Division I & II Football (Regular Period) | February 6, 2019 | Division I: April 1, 2019
Division II: August 1, 2019 |
| All Other Division I & II Sports | November 14, 2018 | August 1, 2019 |
2. Photographer & Media Attendance
Never underestimate the power of high resolution photos. Hiring or booking a photographer goes a long way for your athletes and their families. You are capturing high quality photos that your student athletes can keep forever, as they look back at their time at your school.
Having high-res photos can also be useful when it’s time to share the list of signees with the local paper, school website, or social media channels.
Another overlooked aspect of signing day is the presence of local media. While not every athlete will be recruited enough to warrant media attendance, inviting the media to your signing day event brings visibility to your program and your athlete’s future.
3. Media Backdrop & Table Throw
No signing day is complete without these staples of your athletes’ big day. Custom-designed media backdrops and table throws add a professional touch and help provide consistency throughout the signing day season.
The backdrops generally feature an oversized logo or step-and-repeat style design. And while the table throw can be a little more simple, together they cultivate a slick look that your athletes won’t soon forget. Outside of signing day, these two products can also be used for press conferences, post game interviews, or other general school functions.
If you’re interested in custom backdrops or table throws for your program, reach out to us today, and we will get started on your free proof or quote! Start building that perfect signing day your athletes and their families deserve.