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NCAA approves rule change to remove caps on official visits for recruits
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Recruiting in college football will change on July 1.
On Thursday, the NCAA Division I council approved changes to the limits surrounding official visits. Effective July 1, recruits will be able to take one official visit to as many schools as they’d like. The 5-visit limit has been removed. There will also be an exception for a second visit in the event of a coaching change.
“For young people considering where to go to college, visits to campus — both official and unofficial — are an integral part of the decision-making process,” said Lynda Tealer, chair of the D1 council. “This was an opportunity to modernize NCAA rules in a way that provides greater and more meaningful opportunities for prospects going through the recruitment process.”
Official visits may last no longer than a two-night stay, during which schools will be permitted to cover travel costs, transportation, meals, and reasonable entertainment for up to two family members accompanying a recruit on the visit.
What the change means
This is a significant rule change in terms of its potential impact. Perhaps it could level the field a bit.
Before, recruits had to be strategic with their visits. A Florida-based recruit may have held off on taking an OV to the Gators in order to see schools further away. Maybe that choice hurt Florida in his recruitment. That’ll no longer be the case. Perhaps there’s an instance where a school finishes as the No. 6 team in a list of 5 finalists and misses out on a visit. Now, they’d have the chance to push themselves back into the picture.
Of course, it could have the opposite effect. Programs with large recruiting budgets will be able to handle the increased visit volume. Schools with smaller budgets might struggle to keep up. Resource allocation for athletic departments now gets even more convoluted.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
