Despite the countless forms of technology that are at the tips of our fingers on a daily basis, the fax machine still reigns supreme on the first Wednesday of every February in the college football world – National Signing Day.
High school prospects across the country will make their verbal commitments official on Wednesday, and most will do so by sending their National Letter of Intent (NLI) via fax to their future university.
One school is encouraging a better method.
For the second straight year, UCLA is providing its football recruits the option to submit their NLI using Barracuda SignNow, an application that allows users to sign documents via their computer, cell phone or tablet.
Chris Hawkins, GM and Founder of Barracuda SignNow, says the process is simple.
“With Barracuda SignNow the recruits get a unique secure email containing the link to their NLI,” Hawkins told Yahoo Sports. “From there the areas that they need to complete are designated, and they’re able to complete the NLI with signature on their phone, tablet, or laptop. Schools get the documents back instantly with detailed audit logs that track every action including date, timestamps and IP addresses.”
Responses have been positive from both the recruits and the UCLA football staff.
“The football staff at UCLA is enthusiastic about electronic signatures and using technology to the fullest,” Pat Girardi, UCLA Football Director of Player Personel, said in an email to Yahoo Sports.
Girardi says there haven’t been any issues using the technology. In fact, the process is far smoother than the traditional fax.
“The electronic signature option actually provides a much quicker platform to correct mistakes with the signing process,” Girardi said.
Girardi said UCLA is always looking for “a better way” to get the job done. When it came to National Signing Day, adapting to this new technology and offering it to recruits seemed like the natural thing to do.
“It is in UCLA’s DNA to be on the cutting edge of technology, try new things and look for a better way to accomplish our objectives,” Girardi said. “By embracing the electronic signature option for our recruits and their families, we have provided a straightforward and efficient method for them to finalize one of the most important decisions of their lives.”
Hawkins said most recruits who had the option to sign electronically did so. Additionally, Hawkins there were recruits who even “pulled out tablets on their local TV broadcasts” to sign their NLI.
With UCLA in its second year offering this service, Girardi thinks more schools will follow suit.
“As with most strides forward, there are early adopters. And then the rest catch up down the road,” Girardi said.
Hawkins says it’s a “no-brainer” and that other schools throughout the country have reached out Barracuda SignNow about potential signing day partnerships.
“At this point college-aged students have grown up with the internet, they never lived in a world that wasn’t connected,” Hawkins said. “Modern services like Barracuda SignNow provide advantages of speed and security that fax machines can’t offer, and will never run out of ink or get paper jams.”
For more UCLA news, visit BruinSportsReport.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - UCLA simplifies signing day by offering e-signature option for recruits
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