Understanding the differences between an Official visit vs. an Unofficial visit

Recruiting
Written By Evan Burk
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Official Visit

  • Only allowed up to 5 for your entire recruiting cycle (even if you are being recruited for 2 different sports)
  • All expenses paid for you and your parents/guardians
  • Siblings and other family members that attend will have to pay equivalent to meals, travel, and lodging for the visit
  • Visits last 48 hours
  • Typically last over a weekend (Start Friday, and go through Sunday morning)
  • Can receive free tickets to an on-campus sporting event for you and your parents/guardians
  • Division 1, 1AA, and 2 schools offer Official Visits
  • Sometimes may coincide with the teams schedule for a home game to give recruit a feel for the game atmosphere (*Note: Some programs feel strongly either for or against this practice.  Attending an official visit during that team's competition takes away a lot of time coaches can spend with the family or the recruit)

Unofficial Visits

  • Anytime you are on a college campus,  and you paid to be there (Even if you are invited by a coach)
  • There is no limit to how many unofficial visits you are allowed to take
  • Summer camps are considered Unofficial visits
  • Very common for colleges to invite a large number of prospects to a home game or competition.  In this case, you can be provided 3 complimentary tickets to the game (for you and your parents)
  • When visiting campuses, schedule a campus tour from the admissions office, and then contact coaches beforehand and try to schedule a meeting with them.  Typically this will entail introducing you to other coaches, touring their facilities with you, and spending some time (30 minutes or so) talking to you about the program, the school, and where you fit in into their recruiting process.
  • You do not have to be invited to campus by a coach for you to set up your own visit
Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

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