Official Visits

[aupops2 9]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

[Stripe 5]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

This has been going on for years. But as for the kids, I don't blame them for taking the trips. You never know what your going to find when you go somewhere you have never been. it may very well change your mind. I would take all mine as well, Committed or not, just for the experience. I'm sure a lot of these kids do it for that reason too.

[Wareagletd 0]

YOLO.

That's why they take the trips.

[Stripe 5]

YOLO.

That's why they take the trips.

English man, this isn't twitter or a text. I get tired of looking up strange abbreviations you kids keep coming up with.

[Wareagletd 0]

You Only Live Once.

I'm sorry. It's really popular and figured everyone has at least heard of it.

[thewhiz7 273]

YOLO.

That's why they take the trips.

English man, this isn't twitter or a text. I get tired of looking up strange abbreviations you kids keep coming up with.

  You got that right. I have seen YOLO several times but still had no idea what it meant. I like my words and sentences to be complete. No guess work. 

[Stripe 5]

You Only Live Once.

I'm sorry. It's really popular and figured everyone has at least heard of it.

Thanks bud. I don't spend too much time on twitter except to check football stuff during season/signing period. I'm old but not that old.

With all the acronyms that keep popping up, I'll bet some of the older crowd on here have a second computer permanently loaded to the Urban dictionary to decode whats being posted. 

[aupops2 9]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

This has been going on for years. But as for the kids, I don't blame them for taking the trips. You never know what your going to find when you go somewhere you have never been. it may very well change your mind. I would take all mine as well, Committed or not, just for the experience. I'm sure a lot of these kids do it for that reason too.

I understand that, but it seems a waste of time for the host schools, especially after they have chased these kids for four or five years prior, costing goodness knows how much in time and money.  Then you have to entertain these kids, knowing full well they are on a free ride.  Just doesn't seem fair to the schools, coaches, and the athletic budget.

[walleyau22 0]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

This has been going on for years. But as for the kids, I don't blame them for taking the trips. You never know what your going to find when you go somewhere you have never been. it may very well change your mind. I would take all mine as well, Committed or not, just for the experience. I'm sure a lot of these kids do it for that reason too.

I understand that, but it seems a waste of time for the host schools, especially after they have chased these kids for four or five years prior, costing goodness knows how much in time and money.  Then you have to entertain these kids, knowing full well they are on a free ride.  Just doesn't seem fair to the schools, coaches, and the athletic budget.

The schools don't have to invite them for an official.

[Weegle777 78]

COM GWTP Stripe. 

[Rabern57 0]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

This has been going on for years. But as for the kids, I don't blame them for taking the trips. You never know what your going to find when you go somewhere you have never been. it may very well change your mind. I would take all mine as well, Committed or not, just for the experience. I'm sure a lot of these kids do it for that reason too.

I understand that, but it seems a waste of time for the host schools, especially after they have chased these kids for four or five years prior, costing goodness knows how much in time and money.  Then you have to entertain these kids, knowing full well they are on a free ride.  Just doesn't seem fair to the schools, coaches, and the athletic budget.

It is not hurting the schools for these recruits to come. If they can get enough of them coming it gets their school talked about more. I am sure the coaches are not putting as much effort or spending as much time with the ones they know they can't get.

[rockfordpi 91]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

This has been going on for years. But as for the kids, I don't blame them for taking the trips. You never know what your going to find when you go somewhere you have never been. it may very well change your mind. I would take all mine as well, Committed or not, just for the experience. I'm sure a lot of these kids do it for that reason too.

I understand that, but it seems a waste of time for the host schools, especially after they have chased these kids for fouras, knowing full well they are on a free ride.  Just doesn't seem fair to the schools, coaches, and the athletic budget.

The schools don't have to invite them for an official.

^^This^^^

If they can afford to pay a HC 5 million per year and provide him a private jet to fly all over the country to visit players, they can afford to pay a kid travel and 2 days per diem.

One cross country trip on a private jet probably exceeds all the money they pay to bring recruits to campus.

[aupops2 9]

OK, I get the YOLO; I get the money is there; but what about the time and effort that our coaches and athletic staffs put into these things?  I will bet you that each and every one of them are more concerned about time management as opposed to money management.  Let me ask a question which, frankly, I don't know the answer.  Can you remember an Auburn signee that was (or maybe was) flipped or locked as a result of an official visit in the past three recruiting cycles?  I can only think of one possibly, Jordan Diamond.  Now, another question?  Can you name recruits who signed elsewhere who not only came and drank and ate our fare, but also embarassed us by wearing opposing gear, recruiting our commits to their side, etc,.?  I know there were some two years ago, and maybe some last year, but names do not come to me now.

[AUbritt 611]

COM GWTP Stripe. 

:laugh:

SNBMAFU

[DyeEraTiger 0]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

Good point pops. They don't mean nearly as much as they used to.

[aupops2 9]

COM GWTP Stripe. 

:laugh:

SNBMAFU

ok: now stop this CRAP!!  i'm trying to have an ID here (intelligent discussion)/

[21 flames 0]

COM GWTP Stripe. 

:laugh:

SNBMAFU

Aaand... what did y'all say?? Internet search only helped me with gwtp.

[Wareagletd 0]

Come on man, get with the program.

[AUbritt 611]

Come on man, get with the program.

Yep, that's what Weegs said.

I combined SNAFU with Barry Manilow's initials, just for Weegs. Surely y'all oldsters know what SNAFU means.

[aupops2 9]

IDKWISTTOTNBAHBYGAAFU!!

[AUbritt 611]

IDKWISTTOTNBAHBYGAAFU!!

Bless you.

[Stripe 5]

Now that the seizures are all over with.

I can see the where they have been devalued. You can thank all these recruiting sites and ESPN for that.

But I would hardly call a trip to a college a waste. You never really know what will change a kids mind. It could be something very small like Chick-fil-A or something big like A town/campus/complex/stadium.

You never really know until they sign the line so a trip may very well cause some turmoil in the guys decision. He may not change his commitment but that doesn't mean it didn't give him some pause.

As to how much time the coaches spend with these guys vs. the guys that aren't committed anywhere, It would be interesting to know.

[au_bsci_04 407]

They're still taking OVs to schools of interest, mostly their short list. It's not like they are all lining up to go visit Hawaii...

[C'viewTiger 243]

You Only Live Once.

I'm sorry. It's really popular and figured everyone has at least heard of it.

Must have heard it 50  times at my daughter's graduation this year.

[Rednilla 5,438]

Used to be meaningful.  Now, it seems these kids are using them to see places they've never been, on the host school's dime, and they have little bearing on where a prospect ends up.  You have firmly and openly committed prospects taking all their allowed officials, often to schools they are not even considering.  The fact that recruiting is starting in their freshman and up years seems to make officials unimportant anymore.

They are still meaningful. No matter how committed one might be, a bad visit to that school could call everything into question. A coach leaving from a school could make a big difference, too. Seems like Christian Westerman reopened his recruiting in large part because of the dismissal of UT's offensive line coach.

I guarantee you, if a team is able to get one Christian Westerman, they are more than willing to waste time on 20 other prospects who in the end aren't even going to give them the time of day.

Also, you remember the WV game in 09? How much of an impact do you think it made on recruits seeing the student section rocking on through the monsoon, not to mention the herculean effort of the team to come back? Or the Iron Bowl of the same year? Even if I were a recruit with no allegiances to Auburn, hearing the home crowd rising up in support of the team, even after a loss, would speak worlds to me about what kind of support I'd have if I became a Tiger. By the same token, seeing masses leave early from the Utah State game last year might well have had the opposite effect.

There are so many factors involved that it's hard to say one way or the other how a visit might affect a recruit. With the way recruiting has become a multiyear process, by the time they visit they already have a good idea of the schools they are truly interested in, which is why it may not seem to make much difference, but I'd be willing to bet it does to some extent at least.