High school seniors can now sign football letters of intent in December in addition to the traditional signing period in February.

The Collegiate Commissioners Association on Monday announced its approval of the new signing period, which is part of a package of reforms passed by the NCAA in April.

The early signing period is scheduled for Dec. 20-22, 2017, coinciding with the first three days of the initial date of the football midyear junior college transfer NLI signing period.

The early letter-of-intent signing period is part of a package of reforms that also permits high school juniors to take official visits from April through June, and that impose a two-year waiting period before Bowl Subdivision schools can hire people close to recruits to non-coaching positions.