A: Yes, during an Unofficial Visit, the institution may offer a maximum of three complimentary admissions (issued only through a pass list) to a home athletics event at any facility within a 30-mile radius of a member institution’s main campus, in which the institution’s intercollegiate team practices or competes. The three admissions allowed are for the prospective student-athlete and …
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Q: Are Junior Days invitation only?
A: Yes, coaches have been putting together their preliminary ‘Watch Lists’ of prospects for each class, even if players are too young to contact or recruit. These are just their base lists, their early lists—used to get the process going for the next recruitable class. These lists change DRASTICALLY during the first few months of these evaluation periods. Coaches …
Q: I have never been on an Official Visit, what should I expect?
A: On both Official and Unofficial visits, coaches are trying to both get to know you better and want you get a better understanding of them, what they have to offer and to get to know their coaching staff and players. It’s a two-way street and coaches are often trying to impress you as much as you are trying …
Q: What exactly should I be looking for on visits?
A: Whether choosing a school as a blue-chip prospect with 50 scholarship offers or as a Division III non-scholarship athlete, the process of choosing a school can be time consuming and overwhelming. It’s important to develop your personal selection criteria that will help you through the process – and prioritize it on your non-negotiables. Before the process becomes overwhelming, …
Q: What’s the difference between an Official Visit and Unofficial Visit?
A: Any visit to a college campus by a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents paid for by the college is an “Official Visit.” Visits paid for by college-bound student-athletes or their parents are “Unofficial Visits.” During an Official Visit the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for the prospect, lodging and three meals …
Q: If you are offered a scholarship but communication stops with the coach—are they no longer interested?
A: Most likely yes, unfortunately. Your recruitment by a particular school can end at any time, with no warning, sometimes for reasons you can’t control. Coaches offer more scholarships then they have available. And until you sign your National Letter of Intent (NLI), nothing is “official” on either side. Each coaching staff breaks down their depth chart for each …
Q: The coaching staff that has been recruiting me has been fired or taken a job at another school—does my scholarship offer still stand?
A: One of the toughest hurdles a player can go through during their career is dealing with a coaching change, especially at the collegiate level. Whether a coach retires, leaves for another school, decides to go coach a pro team or gets fired—emotions run high and the media and critics will pile on the uncertainty. It’s important to understand …
Q: If I have committed to one school, can I attend a game of another? Will this affect my relationship with the team I’ve committed to?
A: Yes, it’s not a good look! If your boyfriend/girlfriend went on a date to the movies with someone else, how would you feel? Unless the other school has invited a group of your teammates, and you’re going along with the group, it’s definitely not a good idea if you plan on staying committed to this first team. And …
Q: Is it typical for a coach to offer you a scholarship, then tell you later that they’ve offered that scholarship to two other players?
A: Yes, it does happen. With recruiting beginning earlier and earlier, coaches are anxious to get their top prospects committed and finished with the recruiting process. With each scholarship class coaches determine their needs, position-by-position, and allocate slots based on where they are lacking depth. Once they determine their needs for each signing class, they rate their prospects at …
Q: Will committing to a school too early make other schools stop recruiting you?
A: In football, verbal commitments don’t usually mean much to opposing coaches, especially with high-level prospects. In football it is pretty common for coaches to continue to recruit players, even after they’ve verbally committed to another school. The level of recruitment may vary, but it’s common for coaches to continue to send mail, email and possibly invite commits to …