Can You Get Offered On An Unofficial Visit?
If you’ve already planned an unofficial visit to one of your top schools, you may be wondering if there’s a possibility that a coach will make you an offer. But can you get offered on an unofficial visit?
You can get offered on an unofficial visit, but it is pretty uncommon. Coaches will usually wait until a later phase in the recruiting process when they know a recruit better before making an offer unless you’re playing at an elite level. Coaches are much more likely to make an offer on an official visit.
Unofficial visits tend to be more informal than an official visit, making it the perfect time to explore a school and decide if it’s a good fit for you. Student-athletes are responsible for planning an unofficial visit and must pay for all expenses associated with the tour. Because unofficial visits usually happen earlier in recruiting and are more informal than official visits, it is less likely that a coach will make an offer.
When Can Coaches Make Offers?
So you know that it’s pretty unlikely for coaches to make an offer on an unofficial visit. But when can coaches make offers? The NCAA has restrictions for when coaches can make offers to recruits, depending on which division and sport you’re targeting.
Division I: College coaches must abide by specific rules for when they can contact potential athletes. Depending on the sport you play, coaches won’t be able to initiate contact with you before August 1 or September 1 of your junior year. There are no repercussions for student-athletes, though, so you can reach out to a college coach before then. They may even make you an offer, especially if you’re playing at an elite level.
Other Divisions: The regulations preventing early recruiting are more relaxed for other divisions. For Division II, college coaches must wait until after June 15 of a student-athlete’s sophomore year to initiate contact. For Division III schools, coaches can contact student-athletes at any time. This opens up the time frame for when Division II and III coaches can make offers, but they generally follow the same time frame that Division I coaches do. It’s strategic for Division II and III coaches to make offers after student-athletes who were targeting Division I make their decisions.
For Football, Men And Women’s Basketball, And Baseball: If you’re targeting one of these sports at a Division I school, coaches can make a scholarship offer at any time. These sports also have fewer restrictions on when student-athletes can participate in recruiting with college coaches, as they are generally more competitive.
For All Other Sports: For all other sports, Division I college coaches cannot make a scholarship offer to a student-athlete until after their sophomore year of high school.
These NCAA restrictions prevent early recruiting and allow student-athletes to have enough time to decide where they go to school. Coaches start by making verbal offers, which are non-binding, meaning any party can back out of the agreement. Student-athletes will officially accept an offer in their senior year by signing a National Letter of Intent. Unofficial visits usually happen early in the recruiting process, meaning that there’s a lot of time before a scholarship offer will be made.
When Can You Go On An Unofficial Visit?
When you go on an unofficial visit can affect whether or not you get an offer from a coach. The NCAA has some restrictions on when potential recruits can go on unofficial visits, depending on what division you’re targeting.
Division I: If you’re targeting a Division I school, college coaches can’t meet with you during an unofficial visit until after August 1 of your junior year. You can still plan an unofficial visit and visit campus before your junior year, but you can’t coordinate with the school’s athletic department. If you want to develop your relationship with a college coach further, it’s a good idea to wait to visit campus until you can meet with the coach.
Other Divisions: If you’re targeting a Division II or III school, you can coordinate with the coach to plan an unofficial visit at any time. There are no limits as to how many unofficial visits you can take, which allows you to visit a wide variety of schools.
After Talking With Coach: While you can go on an unofficial visit at any time, it is most strategic to go after establishing a relationship with the coach. You can use an unofficial visit as an opportunity to ask any recruiting questions you might have and build your relationship with the coach.
Unlimited Times: A student-athlete can only take five official visits. Unlike official visits, there are no limits as to how many unofficial visits a student-athlete can take. Unofficial visits are beneficial for coaches to meet student-athletes and for student-athletes to decide if they can see themselves living on campus.
When you go on an unofficial visit will change your likelihood of whether you get an offer. However, unofficial visits are a chance for you to develop an opinion about a school and see how you fit in. They are more useful to you when making a decision about which offer to accept, rather than securing an offer.
What Happens On An Unofficial Visit?
Whether or not you get a scholarship offer on an unofficial visit, there are a few parts of an unofficial visit that remain the same. Because unofficial visits are more informal than official visits, it will be up to you to plan out your visit. These are a few things that you should include in your tour. By taking advantage of these parts of an unofficial visit, you can further advance your recruiting process.
Talk With Coach: When you plan your unofficial visit, you should coordinate with the coach or recruiting coordinator to set up a meeting. During this meeting, you can talk to the coach about their program and coaching style. This is also an excellent opportunity to ask any recruiting questions you might have. If you’re going to get an offer on an unofficial visit, this is most likely when it will happen, so don’t be afraid to ask questions to see where you are in the coach’s potential list of recruits.
Tour Campus: Another critical part of an unofficial visit is touring campus. You can schedule a tour with the admissions department, which will take you past all the significant spots, including the libraries, class halls and dining facilities. Touring campus helps you figure out whether you can envision yourself on campus.
Meet With Admissions And Financial Aid: You can also set up meetings with the admissions department to review the academic requirements to be admitted to the school. These meetings can be especially helpful at the beginning of your high school career when you’re still planning out classes. The admissions department can also give you more information about what students are like on campus outside of the athletics department.
No matter what you do on an unofficial visit, make sure you take a lot of notes and pay attention to your first impressions of campus. Any notes that you take about your initial reactions to the school are helpful when it comes time to make a decision about which offer to accept.
Things To Keep In Mind
Parents: Many parents wonder if they should ask questions during an unofficial visit. College coaches prefer to interact mainly with student-athletes during visits to campus because they are looking to get to know athletes more. Parents can help their student-athletes prepare before the visit to the college, and let them take the lead on asking questions during the tour.
Verbal Offers: It’s important to remember that if you receive an offer from a coach on an unofficial visit, it will be a verbal offer. Verbal offers are nonbinding, meaning either the coach or student-athlete can back out of the agreement. It doesn’t become official until you sign a National Letter of Intent during your senior year of high school. You’ll have a lot of time after taking an unofficial visit to work on getting an offer from a coach.
Coach Communication: When communicating with a coach during your unofficial visit, remember to be yourself. Coaches want to get to know you to see how you might fit on the team. By being confident and concise, you can set yourself apart from other recruits and showcase your character.
What To Wear: You should dress to impress on an unofficial visit. You want to make a good impression on the coach, so stay away from athletic clothes or anything unprofessional.