If the NCAA moves forward with an early signing period in college football, it will be staunchly opposed by Stanford coach David Shaw.

“I might be alone in this, I think it’s terrible,” Shaw said following the Cardinal’s spring practice Saturday. “I think it’s terrible. The reason [for an early signing period], in my opinion, is coaches don’t like when kids commit and switch late.”

… “On top of that — and I’ll be honest here, which is rare for a football coach in a setting like this — but we have a lot of kids that don’t know if they’re going to get into school until after that early signing day,” Shaw said. “So we’re going to punish the academic schools just because coaches don’t want a kid to switch their commitment?

“People can make whatever argument they want, it boils down to that. … Coaches don’t want to keep recruiting an entire class all year.”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think there was a divide and conquer strategy in play here, except I don’t think the NCAA is devious enough to pull something like that off and I have no idea what’s to be gained by it in any event.  Still, I figure we’re one lobbying the Conference Commissioners Association story away from things getting really personal.  Again.