Paying for parent visits: New NCAA Rule

[NUance]

Paying for parent visits, courtesy of new rule, could offer Huskers big recruiting return

Column by Sam McKewon / World-Herald Bureau Sept. 2, 2016 Updated 35 min ago

LINCOLN — During the biggest recruiting weekend in memory — that line has become a broken record since coach Mike Riley arrived at Nebraska — Husker football will try to use a secret weapon.

Mom and Dad.

Starting this year, the NCAA allows football programs to pay for the parents or guardians of a prospect to accompany their son on an official visit. Some teams — especially in the SEC or Texas — won’t see much of a change from that rule. Nebraska will, big time. Parents can’t just drive from California, Michigan or Washington for an NU football game, and some of them couldn’t previously afford to fly in on their own dime. But now the Huskers can pay.

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This is a huge thing for us. Should help out in recruiting. Too bad they didn't do this years ago. :

[Kiyoat Husker]

Definitely good for NU. I have no doubt that this staff will take full advantage of this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we have a pretty good record on recruiting kids that visit with their parents. The focus on academics and athlete support is a good angle for many families. Gameday experience doesn't hurt, either.

[seaofred92]

Do we have a list of which recruits are coming with their parents?

[NUance]

It'd be nice if we could pay to bring along the recruit's hs coach too. That would be huge!

[Hooked on Huskers]

In additional for free transportation tickets (i.e. airlines, Amtrak, rental car, etc), NU payed per diem (food, hotel, etc) both recruits and recruits parents/guardians ...... but only two days. Also first thoughts, Peoples-Jones offered 22 schools thus 22 free airline tickets and covered per diem. Wrong .... only pick 5 schools, not 22 per NCAA rule.

[Savage Husker]

It is a good rule, now we can get mom's on campus without having a bagman pay for them to show up (cough) (cough) Ms. Stringfellow

[funhusker]

Definitely good for NU. I have no doubt that this staff will take full advantage of this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we have a pretty good record on recruiting kids that visit with their parents. The focus on academics and athlete support is a good angle for many families. Gameday experience doesn't hurt, either.

It definitely seems that way. But I wonder how many of those parents paid their own way BECAUSE their son was already very serious about the offer and/or wanted to commit? Time will tell, but I think one can assume it won't hurt.

[Moiraine]

 

 

Definitely good for NU. I have no doubt that this staff will take full advantage of this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we have a pretty good record on recruiting kids that visit with their parents. The focus on academics and athlete support is a good angle for many families. Gameday experience doesn't hurt, either.

It definitely seems that way. But I wonder how many of those parents paid their own way BECAUSE their son was already very serious about the offer and/or wanted to commit? Time will tell, but I think one can assume it won't hurt.

You might be right but it will absolutely help us compared to most other schools. Most teams have many 4 and 5 star recruits in their home states. It was easy for them to get the parents there. It was always hard for us before. Even looking at our bordering states there aren't a huge number of them except maybe in Missouri and Colorado but nothing like Ohio California Texas and SEC country.

[funhusker]

^^^Totally agree, Moiraine.

 

I'm just tampering my own expectations of, "Recruiting floodgates will now open because all Mom's and Dad's will see NU and be blown away." It will definitely help, I'm just curious to see how much.

 

My comment was more towards the thinking of "Johnny's Mom saw what NU had to offer and he committed that weekend. Mom's love NU!" versus "Johnny really wanted to commit so he brought Mom. Mom said, 'yeah, seems like a decent place. I guess if you want to go here it's okay with me'"

 

I think the rule change will really show us how much parents do or do not hold Nebraska in higher regards than other programs. It'll be interesting.