The SEC's presidents and athletics directors on Friday voted against a proposal that would have created an early signing date in football.

The league's football coaches voted 9-3 on Wednesday to create a signing date in late November that would allow recruits to sign early instead of waiting on the traditional date in February. The coach's proposal also restricted the early signees to those who had yet to take an official campus visit.

But at the conclusion of the league's annual Spring meetings in Destin, Fla., it was clear that the athletics directors simply had too many questions about the proposal.

"When a kid is making a decision of that magnitude for the next four years, without making an official visit, it's risky," Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. "Even if a kid has been on campus for an unofficial visit and understands what a school is all about, official visits are different from unofficial visits, in terms of sitting down with teachers and getting parents involved."

SEC commissioner Mike Slive said that the presidents and athletics directors voted separately, but that the vote was "overwhelmingly" against the coach's proposal.

In other news Friday:

• The SEC announced that it was returning more than $1.2 million in refunds to fans who were unable to use their conference championship basketball tickets after a tornado hit the Georgia Dome in March. That total represents a little less than 11,000 ticket holders.

• Commissioner Mike Slive announced that the SEC will host a cookout next Thursday in Atlanta to show the league's appreciation for those who helped when the tornado hit the Dome and the tournament had to be moved to Georgia Tech. More than 160 people from the Georgia Dome, Georgia Tech and other officials will be invited to the event which will be held at the Dome.

• Despite those ticket refunds to the basketball tournament, the SEC had another record year financially. It will distribute $127.2 million back to its members. That is a 4.3 percent increase from last year's total of $122.0 million.

Of that total, $50.6 million came from football television, $25.3 million from bowls, $13.7 million from the SEC Football Championship game, $13.0 million from basketball television, $2.8 million from the men's basketball tournament and $21.8 million from NCAA championships.

Each school received approximately $10.6 million in revenue.

• The SEC also voted for a proposal that would increase scholarships in baseball from 11.7 to 14. The proposal will be forwarded to the NCAA for its consideration.