College football coaches have a lot of different opinions on various recruiting topics.
But there was one issue agreed upon by the majority of the 15 coaches from the across the country interviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this spring: They think that a college should be able to pay for the travel expenses of at least one parent or legal guardian to accompany a recruit on his official visit.
“We really should pay for at least one parent,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said.
“I think kids, when they are on official visits to these schools, they can so easily be fooled by coaches or people they are in touch with that really isn’t reality. They get promised these things that don’t ever happen or don’t come true.
“If there’s a parent around that can monitor everything, first the kid can make better decisions. And in the process, you’d have better relations down the road. I think that’s very apparent.”
Under NCAA rules, colleges can pay for the lodging and meals of a recruit’s parents during an official visit once they arrive on campus. The colleges can also indirectly fund the travel expenses, such as car mileage, as long as the recruit is riding in the same automobile with the parents.
The problems arise when recruits take trips to faraway schools, which makes driving illogical or no option. For example, airplane tickets get expensive when a recruit from Georgia wants to visit colleges in the Pac-12 or Big Ten. It’s also pricey when recruits fly to schools much closer, but don’t schedule the trip until the last minute.
“I think having a prospect’s parent with them on a visitation is a tremendously important piece, and I think that should be made available for at least one parent — no matter what the length or distance is,” LSU coach Les Miles said.
“If you’re going to bring in a guy from California, you might as well bring in his mom or dad with him. If you need both parents, then maybe the family buys the ticket. But if it’s the decision-maker, they need to come because (the family) needs to be comfortable, especially if there’s long distance involved.
“If you can encourage parental interaction in any way in recruiting, then I’m for it.”
Added South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, “That’s a fine idea. Whatever we can do to help the parents of prospective players, I think that’s good.”
The idea that colleges should pay the travel expenses for at least one parent has a bigger impact on programs that recruit more out of state than within their own boundaries.
Tennessee traditionally recruits across the border, particularly in the Atlanta area, because its home state doesn’t produce as many top-tier prospects as other places across the Southeast. In February, the Volunteers signed more recruits from metro Atlanta (8) than from Tennessee (7) in its 27-member class.
“Well I do think that’s very important,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “When a young man makes a decision that will set the course of not only the next three to five years but also the rest of his life — it’s a big, big decision. It would be appropriate to allow at least one parent to accompany them on an official visit.”
But even coaches that don’t have to recruit much out of state support the idea — just because it seems like the right thing to do.
UGA traditionally signs more in-state players than out-of-state players, with more of half of this year’s signees coming from Georgia. Bulldogs coach Mark Richt likes the idea, but isn’t sure if it’s fair to the parents.
“I think if you are going to pay for someone to come with the young man, I would pay for two,” Richt said. “I would not have the family have to decide who gets to go and who has to stay home. Obviously they could pay for the other parent, but I think if you are going to do it make it two.”
The Miami area has some of the nation’s most fertile recruiting grounds. University of Miami coach Al Golden supports the idea, and has a compromise that might help any colleges wary of the extra costs.
“I think that would be great,” Golden said. “I think it’s the right thing to do. If that means that we limit the official visits by one to do so, to make ends meet, then I think that would be the right thing to do.
“There are such a great number of kids making a decision prior to their senior year that many of the kids, perhaps the majority, aren’t using all five official visits anymore. So if taking it down to four (official visits) and then compensating parents for their travel, I think would allow them (the recruits) to include their family and include the people that have been their decision-makers their whole life, the people the trust the most … this would allow them to be exposed to everything that each particular college can offer a young man.”
Any NCAA rule changes would have to be proposed by conference committees.
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