UNOFFICIAL VISITS
- Ken Van Landingham
- Oct 4, 2019
- 2 min read
With college football in full swing, now is a great time to take unofficial visits. These visits are defined by the NCAA as paid for by the student-athletes or their parents. Each prospective student athlete will receive one ticket to the game plus two more for guests.
These visits can be great opportunities to meet the coaches, tour the facilities, learn about the schools academics and spend time on the field prior to the game while the players are warming up. They can go a long way towards gathering information about the school and the program, build relationships with the coaches and help determine if this school/program may be a good fit.
There are a number of ways to set up these visits. I would suggest starting with your coaches to see if they have any contacts at the schools you are interested in. If you are interested in schools at the FBS level, you generally will need an invite or have a connection to make this happen. At schools that play football at a lower level, a lot of times you can go to the teams website and there will be a link provided to request an unofficial visit. Also, you can always email the teams recruiting department and make the request or tag along with a teammate or friend that is being recruited by the school.
If you are early in your high school career, this is a great time to visit your "Long Shot" schools as we discussed in my early post Being Realistic. Size yourself up against the players at this level and see if you think playing there is realistic. Remember, playing college football is very much about size and athleticism. Especially at the highest level. Do you match up well with what you are seeing on the field? Having the ability to see the players up close will give you a more accurate representation than what you see on TV.
As you move further along in your high school career, it is very important to begin visiting schools that have interest in you. If that program is at the D2, D3 or NAIA level they generally don't have the recruiting budget to go out and see all their prospects. So making the trip to see them can go along way towards earning a scholarship. Plus, they want to know their is mutual interest in their program.
This was a really informative read! I appreciated how the article explains the purpose of unofficial visits in the recruiting process — breaking down what they are, how they work, and why they matter makes it easier for athletes and families to feel confident in their decisions. The tips and insights are practical and grounded in real‑world experience, which helps demystify a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
As someone juggling one of the Hardest Degrees, I can relate to the value of planning, preparation, and understanding the steps ahead. Thanks for sharing such a clear and helpful guide!
This post really resonates because unofficial visits are so much more than just watching a game — they're about picturing your whole future in one afternoon. The part about visiting your "long shot" schools early hit home; there's something humbling and eye-opening about sizing yourself up against players you've only seen on a screen. What people don't talk about enough, though, is how overwhelming this entire recruiting period is for student-athletes who are also trying to keep their grades up. Between campus trips, practices, and application deadlines, academics can genuinely slip. That's where having access to online help with university assignments in the UK or beyond becomes a game-changer for international prospects exploring opportunities abroad. Managing both athletic recruitment and…
What stood out to me is how student-athletes have to balance so many responsibilities at once—training, schoolwork, and preparing for their future. It reminds me a lot of the challenges students face in academics as well. Managing assignments, deadlines, and studies can be tough, especially when schedules are already packed. That’s why support services like Native Assignment Help can make a big difference for students who want to stay focused on their goals while keeping their academic work on track.
Really enjoyed this post because it explains unofficial visits in a very real, no-hype way that a lot of athletes and parents need to hear. Those early visits really are about getting a feel for the campus, the coaching staff, and whether you can actually see yourself there day to day, not just chasing logos. Balancing recruiting trips with schoolwork can be stressful too, so having good time management (or even outside support like Finance Assignment Help UK when academics get heavy) makes a big difference. Great breakdown of why unofficial visits matter and how to approach them with the right mindset.
Reading the post on UNOFFICIAL VISITS really took me back to my own student days when every campus visit felt like a pivotal moment full of questions, excitement, and a bit of uncertainty because those first impressions can shape how you see your future and help you make decisions with both head and heart. As a current PhD student who also works part-time helping others and supporting peers who come to me as UK Assignment writers with their academic work, I know how important it is to approach every step thoughtfully, because during my college days I suffered a lot from these types of hustles and often struggled without the right guidance, so I have a deep interest in helping others an…