Basketball Signing Period to Open as Scheduled on April 15

It has now been over two weeks since the NCAA canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 athletic season due to the public health threat of the novel coronavirus-caused, COVID-19 pandemic. Even though that amount of time has passed, there remain several questions about how college sports are going to continue operate going forward.

This is the latest article in a continuing Pittsburgh Sports Now series on those questions and the difficult answers for them, as the world of college athletics moves through unprecedented territory during the ongoing pandemic.

Despite a continued dead period In Division I and Division II recruiting, that will last at least through the end of May, the National Letter of Intent singing period that was scheduled to open on April 15 for men’s basketball signees in the Class of 2020 will open as scheduled, the national letter of intent clearinghouse announced on Thursday.

Despite opening on the scheduled date, the signing period will be modified. Instead of closing on May 20, it will last through August 1, 2020.

Additionally, unsigned Class of 2020 football players will also be able to sing once again starting on April 15 and running through Aug. 1. The open signing period was initially closed when the NCAA announced a recruiting dead period on March 13. The majority of Class of 2020 football players have already signed.