Publisher’s Note: Yes, Georgia is squaring off against Alabama this Saturday. It’s a busy week for College Football, including what is happening tomorrow.
It’s “National Signing Day,” when this year’s star high school football seniors officially sign a commitment to the college of their choice. It’s tied in to the job market in Augusta as well!
While there is another such signing day on February 4, 2026, a large majority will sign tomorrow to get an early start, including potentially enrolling at their college for the Spring Semester. This National Signing Day is the culmination, in many cases, of a multi-year recruiting process in which multiple colleges were competing for the commitments of many of the athletes. Many factors go into the young man’s decision where to play college football, but many of those factors are analogous to the factors that go into whether prospective employees of ours are going to accept our job offers. In today’s column, I will look at those factors, along with factors related to retention, which have also become a major issue in college football due to the ease with which players can now transfer schools.
First, let’s look at the key determinants that will have factored into each young man’s decision as to which school to sign with tomorrow:
- Money: Up until 2021, colleges could only offer their football players scholarships to attend their schools that included tuition, room and board, books, and other expenses related to the cost of attending college. However, starting in 2021, athletes were allowed to earn sponsorships and endorsements from their “Name, Image, and Likeness” or NIL, and starting this year (2025), schools can directly pay athletes. So, for the first time, schools are offering financial contracts well above and beyond the cost of attending college. For many of these recruits, the money offered is the most important factor in their decision, so schools must be very aware of the market value of each player based on his playing position and ability in order to effectively compete for his commitment. Similarly, in business, we must always know the market in terms of salary and benefits for positions we are hiring for, and for the capabilities of the people we are attempting to hire.
- Development: While short-term money is important for both the prospective college football player and prospective employee, they also have longer-term returns in mind. Therefore, many future college football players are looking at which schools might best prepare them to play professional football. While they can now earn money playing football in college, much more substantial financial gains are available playing professionally. Some of these prospective recruits may also realize that the chances of playing professionally can be remote, so they will choose a school whose academics and networking opportunities will provide greater chances for professional success outside of football. Similarly, in business, we must show that we will invest in our prospective hires through additional education and training, and various responsibilities and experiences that will position them for significant career advancement.
- Culture: Prospective college football players will often visit the schools they are interested in multiple times prior to making a commitment to get a feel for the culture of the football program and the school. They are often looking for a welcoming environment in which the coaches treat them with respect. Football players spend more time with their teammates and coaches than with anyone else, so feeling comfortable is a high priority for recruits. Similarly, prospective employees are looking for an environment where they will be happy and enjoy the people around them. Therefore, ensuring a collegial environment in your workplace will better help you recruit the employees you want.
- Amenities: While sometimes not as important as the prior three reasons, prospective college football players are looking for nice amenities, such as top-of-the-line facilities, tasty and nutritional training tables, and state-of-the-art weight rooms and recovery facilities. Similarly, at our workplaces, it is often helpful to either having or being close to good fitness centers and places to eat, and having nice furnishing and equipment.
While the above list may not be comprehensive, it has probably the most important attributes of what might convince a college football recruit to choose a school or an employee to choose to work for your business. However, once the school attracts the players it wants and we attract the employees we want, our work is not done. Rather, it may just be beginning, as it is just as important, or probably more so, to retain top talent as it is to attract it in the first place. In business, we have always been challenged by our talent seeking opportunities elsewhere. Now, college football programs experience the same challenges ever since the establishment of the Transfer Portal, which has facilitated the ability of players to move from one school to another at the conclusion of each season.
Retention requires attention to much of the same things outlined above:
- Ensure salaries/pay remain at market levels or higher. Demonstrate that you value your best people.
- Be sure your people know that there is a career path for advancement at your business. For the college football coach, be sure that playing time is available to those you want to keep.
- Whether you are a college football coach or a business leader/manager, be sure that your people know that they matter. If you take them for granted, you will not be taking them for granted very long.
- From my column two weeks ago, be sure to show your people gratitude, whether it is with tangible or intangible rewards and sincere words of thanks.
Tomorrow’s National Signing Day will be the culmination of multi-year recruitments of future college football players. Most of the young men will choose the school that provides them the best fit in terms of financial compensation, development opportunities, culture, and amenities. Remember these items as you both recruit new employees and attempt to retain them in the future.
