Six Things to Make the Signing Day Experience Better for BYU Football Fans
By Mitch Harper
National Signing Day has become a big deal for college football fans. There was a time where signing day was just a niche thing. Folks that subscribed to H.B. Arnett’s Cougar Sportsline were getting recruiting news but there was nothing exciting going on to celebrate the day these recruits fax in their letter of intents.
I’ve always had ideas or dreams of ways that could improve the Signing Day experience. Over the past few years Signing Day has become a bigger event for the fans. For those of us that hit F5 over and over and over on the morning of NSD, we are always looking for more. Here are six things I would like to see to improve the Signing Day experience for BYU Football fans. In other words, 10 things that make me a bigger nerd than I already am.
1. Live webcam of the fax machine
I saw this a few years back at Washington. Was very jealous. Can you imagine seeing the fax roll through and seeing Fred Warner’s LOI come through? Would be a huge sigh of relief.
Just the thought of watching a fax machine is so ridiculous, yet so awesome to me.
2. NFL Draft style highlight packages
You know when a pick goes down in the NFL Draft, ESPN then cues up some awesome music and starts showing highlights. The past few years ESPN has had the players posing in pre-recorded footage before the highlights are shown. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, watch this clip at the :47 second mark to understand.
BYU has all their prospects visit the campus at some point during the recruiting process. Record some footage of them and then have that ready to go on BYUcougars.com when the fax goes through with the highlights.
Yes, I have problems. I know.
3. Interactive map or big board
Every time a fax comes through I want to see an updated map of the United States pointing to each signees hometown with their picture. I saw this last year at Alabama’s Signing Day Central and it was pretty sweet.
4. A mobile app dedicated to Signing Day
Signing Day is a weekday. Many people are on the go and not able to hunker down and get wall-to-wall coverage on Signing Day in front of their computer or tv screen. Design an app specifically dedicated to BYU’s Signing Day with pictures, videos, rankings, etc. We have a roku app, and apps for Xbox and Playstation. This shouldn’t be too difficult.
5. Have Bronco take questions from Twitter during his Signing Day Press Conference
The questions from media are vanilla. Most of the people in this state don’t follow recruiting on a daily basis. Let the bloggers and fans chime in with questions during Mendenhall’s presser using a certain hashtag.
6. Interviews with all the signees on Signing Day
It would be a cool to hear the guys who make up the signing class speak on their big day. Have BYUtv interview all of them and put together a five-hour special. Cougar Nation always needs their football fix.
What are some ideas you have that could improve the Signing Day experience for Cougar fans? Tell us in the comments section or tweet us @LawlessRepublic.