A Grip on Sports: Today is a celebration day for high school football players headed to the next level, one that has changed quite a bit recently

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Everyone needs a catch-all phrase. Something to latch on to in times of dire need. Like “live long and prosper” or “don’t have a cow, man.” Ours? “Recruiting never stops.” Today, it is actually relevant. Though not as relevant as it was only a short while ago.

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• What is today? The first day of college football’s early signing period. It’s a three-day period in which your favorite school will announce a recruiting haul that is “second-to-none” or “the most-talented group we’ve ever assembled” or some other superlative that tests the bounds of honesty.

Meanwhile, on some other side of campus, many members of last year’s “this class will change our outlook for years to come” are preparing to enter their names the transfer portal. Looking for another forever home. It’s

Look, signing day, no matter what form it takes, is a rite of passage, a deserved celebration, a dream come true. For those who are deciding on their athletic and academic future. Nothing should ever take away from that. And nothing written here about the transactional nature of the sport they are about to enter is meant to disparage their journey or moment.

But there is no denying circumstances have changed.

College coaches will take some time this afternoon or maybe tomorrow to tout their high school and junior college signing class. To praise the players. To talk about possible future accomplishments. Character. Athleticism. Commitment.

Then walk into another room to phone 17 guys at other schools who are looking to transfer.

The irony of the situation, and the reality of it, knows no bounds. Somehow, the cliché “it is what it is” isn’t enough. Not close.

I feel for the high school senior who is putting pen to paper today. Most fans of the school he has decided on have no clue the journey he has been on. The early morning hours in the weight room. The late-night hours in the film room. The extra hours in the class room. The endless hours with one goal in mind. Become a college football player.

Today is the day all those minutes and hours and days pay off. Today. Tomorrow? The world moves on. Between today and the day that player, hopefully, walks at graduation, may just include three or four transfers, an uncountable number of self-proclaimed locker room brothers and more broken promises than bruises and sprains, which is saying something.

Sure, some throwbacks exist. Student/athletes who stay at one school for the entirety of their college experience.

The chances are pretty good, though, the coaches that recruited them, from the unknown grad assistant that first identified their film through the assistants who sat in the stands as they competed in high school to the head coach who came into their living room and pledged fealty, will not accompany them long on the journey.

But like Ellis Boyd Redding, I hope.

I hope that each young man who signs his pledge today spends the next half-decade of his life experiencing all the good things college football can offer. The life lessons. The moments of joy. The shared exhaustion needed to accomplish a goal. And I hope those moments are enough to cover the stench of what has become a river of crud they have to pass through.

Starting tomorrow.

Today? On the surface it seems to be about where they are headed. But it is actually for the memories of where they have been. What they have done. How they have changed. All the sacrifices they, and those who support them, have made.

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WSU: Jimmy Rogers’ football program is gathering a large number of signing documents as you read this. Greg Woods previewed what is expected today, including a couple players who came on board at the last minute. … It hasn’t been the best start to a season the Cougar men’s basketball team have ever had. The rebuilt roster is still coming together. Learning how to play as a group. And how to finish winnable games. There was one more last night in Illinois, but David Riley’s group faltered just enough down the stretch to lose 64-60 at Bradley. Greg has his analysis of the defeat that dropped Washington State to 3-6 on the season. … Washington State went through a stretch of a few years in which it seemed it needed a new soccer coach just about every season. Then Todd Shulenberger took over. Now, 11 years later, Shulenberger is leaving, moving up to the challenges of the SEC, taking over at Ole Miss. Greg has more in this story. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner has his last Pac-12 bowl predictions (maybe ever) in the Mercury News today. … He also looks at the CFP rankings from last night. At least he kept a civil tongue. This morning I thought about echoing Bruce Feldman on X from last night, but bit my tongue. The process is, shall we say, about as corrupt and hypocritical as anything we see from D.C. these days. … In the current Pac-12, Oregon State introduced JaMarcus Shephard to the local media, though the Beavers’ new coach needs no introduction to Corvallis. We can pass along some impressions. And a few other stories. … There is also Pac-12 legacy coaching news. California has reportedly zeroed in on Oregon defensive coordinator – and Cal alum – Tosh Lupoi. It seems convenient that news leaked on the eve of signing day. … Stanford introduced Tavita Pritchard to the Bay Area media. Andrew Luck beamed like a proud papa. … UCLA is trying to give new coach Bob Chesney a welcome-to-Westwood gift. … By the way, we’re not going to try to piece together signing day news this morning. We’ll catch up tomorrow or whenever we can find stories about your favorite college. As long as it has a Pac-12 connection. … Oregon doesn’t anymore. But the Ducks are headed to the CFP. Their seed is still to be determined. … Colorado just doesn’t recruit the high schools hard enough for some. … Arizona won’t make the CFP but it did move up to 18th. …The All-Mountain West teams were announced Tuesday. We can pass along stories (for the final time) concerning Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State. … Can UNLV finally solve its Boise State problem and win a conference title? … Why did Jim Mora leave UConn for Colorado State?

• In basketball news, undefeated USC traveled north yesterday to face the Oregon men. The Trojans left Eugene with their first Big Ten victory of the season, 82-77. And the Ducks continued to struggle. … There is another California school that is having a surprisingly good season. Cal. The Bears topped Utah on Tuesday. … UCLA has struggled some. The Bruins open Big Ten play tonight. … Success elsewhere has taken the spotlight off Arizona. … San Diego State has to find a sense of urgency as its season slips away. … The Oregon women are still undefeated. Now comes their rivalry game with Oregon State. … Colorado earned an easy win last night. … USC, ranked 16th, rolled over Saint Mary’s.

Gonzaga: Did you know recruiting never stops? Even transfer portal recruiting, as exemplified by GU’s upcoming visit from Princeton transfer Caden Pierce. Theo Lawson lays out the timeline for Braden Huff’s high school teammate’s visit. … Jim Meehan and Richard Fox got together for another episode of the Zags Basketball Insiders Podcast. You can listen here if you like. … Ryan Nembhard is all the rage in Dallas.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Weber State is still looking for a new football coach. So is Portland State and Cal Poly, but none of the trio seems in a huge hurry. … Montana is past its bye week and ready to host South Dakota State. I wonder if Jimmy Rogers plans to cross the mountains Saturday and watch his old team?

Preps: There is snow on the ground. And high school hoops in gyms. Seems they go together, right? Dave Nichols headed out to Ridgeline last night for a doubleheader featuring two of the better girls’ teams in the area. Gonzaga Prep held on for a win in that one, then the Bullpup boys also earned a road victory. … We can also pass along a roundup of some of the other action in the area.

Velocity: Spokane’s Anuar Pelaez was one of the four nominees for USL League One’s Most Valuable Performer named yesterday.

Chiefs: Dave’s second piece in today’s S-R? A Chiefs notebook. The main element? A look at Spokane’s anemic power play. … Former Chief Jared Spurgeon is 36 years old. Ancient for the NHL. He isn’t playing like it this season with Minnesota.

Mariners: Well, I was wrong. Again. MLB has too many meetings in the offseason these days. I thought the winter ones came early this year. Turns out that was the GM meetings. The winter meetings are still ahead. Technically, before winter but what’s a couple weeks among friends?

Storm: Sue Bird is going to have her UConn jersey retired. A year after a statue went up in Seattle. She did spend a lot more of her life in the Northwest.

Seahawks: As players return from the injured list, those who filled their roster spots have to be moved. That’s what happened Tuesday with the Hawks. … Is it possible Seattle has the best defensive tackle duo in the NFL? Yes it is. … Did you notice last week? There were a lot more commercials on the RedZone Channel. I am shocked.

Legends: We came up with a whole new label today, because Tuesday just happened to contain news about two all-time greats in different sports. The positive? That would be Serena Williams, one of the top one or two female tennis players of all time, making the first step toward emerging from retirement. The negative? Tiger Woods is nowhere near ready to return to playing after another back surgery.

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• One thing two stints covering high school sports showed me, signing day is something special for those who have the opportunity. It is worth celebrating. No matter how much college football has changed. Until later …