Posted November 02, 2022 | Bret
Recruiting 101: Game Day Recruiting Visits
Coach Kohl and our staff have been getting a lot of questions regarding college recruiting "game day visits". These are events where athletes contact, or are contacted, by a college coach asking them to come out to a game. Schools typically provide an athlete and two parent/guardian tickets to a game and different recruitingevents throughout the day.
College programs like to host recruits to allow them to see their game environment throughout the season. College coaches generally try to say hello to the recruits that attend a gameday breakfast that is sometimes available prior to a game. Many people feel like they are missing out on recruiting advantages by seeing others on gameday visits. Here is a little information about going to a college football game as a recruit:
1. Generally speaking, it can be a positive experience. Programs host anywhere from 10-250 recruits on any particular game day. It allows families to get a better feel for a program. It also allows athletes to post on social media and get pictures of themselves on the sidelines during pre-game.
2. In talking with schools, about 95% of athletes who request a game day visit can get a ticket, and two additional tickets for their parents. When an athlete contacts the recruiting department and mentions they have an interest in attending a game day visit, most programs will gladly find a ticket for the prospect and their family at some point during the season. This is not an exclusive event for only high-profile recruits. You can email or call recruiting departments with this request. You can also list us and your high school coach as a reference if asked. Game day visits are acceptable for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school.
3. A game day visit will generally mean that the coaches will take a minute and check out your film and learn a little bit about you prior to your arrival, but don't be disappointed if you attend a game day visit and no one knows who you are personally. Good recruiters will see the game day list and familiarize themselves with the prospects, but busy or unorganized recruiters may not.
4. A visit during game day does not necessarily mean you are seriously being recruited or are #1 on their list of potential offers. These visits are generally not always worth jumping on an airplane to travel at a moment's notice. Again, much like junior day visits, we strongly advise saving your money to attend the college's summer camp rather than feeling pressured to attend a game day or junior day event if time and resources are limited.
5. Many of our players are feeling pressured to attend "game days" or "junior days". Many of our top-ranked athletes are being targeted by coaches in the kicking, punting, and snapping camp industry promising college visits as a way to "help", when in fact any athlete themselves can set these up. We have had multiple families literally spend $1,000's traveling to game day visits at the word of someone else, only to arrive and find their name is not on the attendee list and the coaching staff had no idea they were coming. You need to speak to the college program directly before traveling. This is the way recruiting visits are intended to be handled. If a third party reaches out and says they are setting up a college visit for you, please use caution.
In closing, college "game day" visits can be a fun time and a learning experience, but do not at all feel like you are falling behind if you see other specialists traveling all over to attend game day visits. There are many more important factors in recruiting than who travels to colleges on game days or junior days. My hope with this email is that this helps athletes and parents make informed choices during their recruiting journey!
All the best,
Bret Culbertson
Kohl's National Coaching Staff
Twitter: @BretCulbertson
