November 15 opens the formal offer period
In football recruiting, written offers of athletics aid cannot be issued before November 15 of a recruit's senior year. That date arrives this Saturday.
Until November 15, any offer a program has extended is verbal — meaningful, but non-binding on either side. Starting November 15, programs can put offers in writing, which sets the formal stage for the December 2 signing window.
For families who have been in conversations but have not committed — or for committed families waiting to see the written offer before they finalize anything — this week marks a shift in the process.
The window is shorter than it looks
Three overlapping deadlines now fall within a 17-day span:
- November 15: First date formal written offers can be issued
- November 29: Last day for official visits before the FBS dead period begins
- December 2: Early signing window opens
A family receiving a written offer for the first time this week has fewer than two weeks to complete any remaining official visit, review the offer, and decide whether to sign in December.
The dead period runs November 30 through December 31, which means coaches cannot contact recruits in person during the signing window itself. All communication after November 29 happens by phone, text, and email.
Three things worth confirming before the window closes
Eligibility center status
Programs must verify eligibility center clearance before issuing a written offer. Families should independently confirm that any pending documentation — transcripts, test scores, transfer records — has been submitted and cleared. A gap here will not stop a verbal commitment, but it can delay the formal process when the offer window opens.
Official visit completion
November 29 is the last day for official visits before the dead period. An unofficial visit during the season is a different evaluation experience than a hosted official visit. If a family has not taken an official visit to a program they are considering signing with, the logistics need to be confirmed now.
The terms of the offer itself
The written offer of athletics aid replaced the National Letter of Intent and is the document families will sign in December. It has specific conditions: scholarship year, renewal language, and what the aid covers. Families should read the offer carefully before the signing window opens, not during it.
What this means right now
Signing in December is now the standard for the 2027 class. Programs that issue written offers in November expect families to close in December. Waiting until National Signing Day in February is not wrong, but it signals something to the coaching staff — and programs that have been managing class boards for months will read that signal.
If a family is not ready to sign in December, the more useful question is a specific one: what do we still need to evaluate, and can we complete that evaluation before November 29?
The window is short. The decisions in it should be informed ones.