NCAA D1 Visits for College Basketball Prospects – Let’s Get Official & Unofficial with the Details

Going on NCAA D1 Visits, official and unofficial visits are definitely going to be one of the most exciting parts of your recruiting process. On your visit, you will get the opportunity to meet the coach and see everything the college campus and facilities have to offer, in person. Let’s not underplay this. Receiving an invite to go on a college visit is a big deal. College Coaches usually save invitations for their top recruits. Getting asked by a coach shows just how much the coach is interested in you and that he is considering you as a serious prospect for the team. It may be intimidating to visit a college campus and get evaluated by the coach but, as in any situation like this, just focus on putting your best foot forward and try to enjoy the process as much as you can.

TIP: When on a visit really pay attention to how the campus feels. Ask yourself questions like: do you like the school? do you like the culture? do you like the team? do you like the dorms? These are all the types of questions you should be asking yourself when deciding if you would want to commit.

NCAA D1 VISITS DEFINITIONS – JUST TO BE CLEAR

• An UNOFFICIAL VISIT to a college or university by a recruit is a visit made at your own expense.
• An OFFICIAL VISIT to a college or university by a recruit is a visit that is funded either entirely or in part, by an NCAA school.

WHEN CAN A COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH RECRUIT YOU

Before August 1st of a player’s sophomore year, a coach cannot do the following things to recruit you:

• A coach cannot engage in recruiting conversations with you during a visit to campus
• A coach cannot provide you with any complimentary admissions to a contest
• A coach cannot arrange a campus tour for you

CHECK OUT THIS UNOFFICIAL AND OFFICIAL TIMELINE for NCAA D1 VISITS

Where are you on this timeline? As a player trying to get recruited to college, this will affect what you can and cannot do to get yourself noticed. The below timeline will help you navigate through your high school years and post graduation. It will help you set better goals and give you an idea of what you need to be doing and, what you can do to increase your chances of being successfully recruited.

Freshman Year of High School:

This is the year of really focusing on your game and studies because as a recruit you can’t be taken on an unofficial visit or an official visit.

Sophomore Year of High School:

At the beginning of August 1st you can schedule as many unofficial visits as you want (it is an unlimited number). However, you cannot go on an official visit.

Junior Year of High School:

As a recruitable player, now you can schedule an unlimited number of unofficial visits AND you can also take up to five official visits. These official visits must occur between August 1st of your junior year and July 31st of the following junior year. Remember, only 5 official visits can be taken. This also means just one visit per school per year. Make sure you make them count!

Senior Year of High School:

In your senior year you can schedule as many unofficial visits as you like (it is an unlimited number) and up to five official visits which must happen between August 1st of your senior year and October 14th, following your completion of high school. Again, you are allowed up to 5 official visits with only one official visit per school.

Post High School Graduation:

Once you have graduated from high school you get five additional official visits. These extra visits can begin from October 15th following your completion of high school.

NOTE: This came into effect May 1, 2019 – The NCAA created a series of updated recruiting rules to slow down the recruiting process. They wanted to cut back on the number of recruits getting verbal offers as eighth graders, freshmen and sophomores in high school.

Since the updates have been introduced, players like yourself, now have more time to research colleges and, more time to focus on developing yourself athletically and academically. This means that as a junior and senior in high school, you will be better equipped with time to decide which college or university is right for you.

However, these rule changes means players and their families probably need to be more proactive in the earlier stages of the recruiting process. Top prospects are always going to be offered official visits their junior year. This means that more college coaches can secure their recruiting classes early. You don’t want to get left behind.

TIP: You need to start the recruiting process as early as possible so you’re ready for official visit invites August 1 of junior year.

What is an Official NCAA D1 Visit for a College Basketball Prospect?

An official visit is a formal campus visit by a prospective student-athlete. The school offering you an official visit may cover your expenses for the visit but this can vary from school to school.  For example: one school may pay for all of your expenses (travel, accommodation, food, entertainment) whereas another school may only cover part of your expenses (accommodation, travel and food only).

Things you need to do and know, to make sure your NCAA D1 visits goes smoothly:

• You must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center
• You must have taken the SAT/ACT
• You must have submitted your unofficial transcripts to the school
• You can only make one official visit to each school including multiple sports athletes.
• You can only receive a maximum of 3 meals per day during the visit
• You are given $30 per day for entertainment.
• An official visit cannot last longer than 48 hours.

What is an Unofficial NCAA D1 Visit for a College Basketball Prospect?

Unofficial visits are visits that you (the player) pay for themselves.  This means that you are responsible for all expenses that will occur on your unofficial visit which will inevitably include: travel, accommodation and meals. During the recruiting process, you will be presented with many opportunities to take unofficial visits to schools you’re interested in. It is a very important part of your recruitment process. You can take an unofficial visit at any grade level.

TIP: To make a good impression you should take your visit seriously and carry yourself in a professional manner. Make sure your first impression is impressive, you only have 5 seconds so make it a good one!

What you need to know before you go on an unofficial school NCAA d1 visit:s

• The school can provide up to three complimentary admissions to players on an unofficial visit (1 for you and 2 for guests)
• If your parents are separated, there may be an option for you to receive two additional complimentary admissions so both can attend.
• The school can provide transportation between campus and the venue if it is within 30 miles of the campus.
• The school can provide housing during an unofficial visit, but only if you pay the standard rate.

How to Prepare for an Official Visit

Preparation is key to everything in life. At the NCAA Division 1 level. they have the strictest regulations. There are so many important rules that you need to know. Below is a list of all the important things. Take some time to get to know them and become familiar with them. This will make sure you are as ready and prepared as possible:

1. The NCAA allows a recruit to make only five visits to Division 1 schools with a limited to one per school per year
2. The school can pay for the following for you and your parents/guardians: transportation (to and from) the campus, accommodation the duration of your visit, 3x meals per day and 3x tickets to a home sports event.
3. They can only provide transportation for parents/guardians if they travel in the same car as the recruit. This does not include flights and separate bus or train tickets.
4. You can only go on one official visit per school per year.
5. Each official visit cannot exceed the max hours of 48 hours (or the span of one weekend) 48 hrs is the max not a requirement so your visit could be much shorter than this.
6. Official visits can begin August 1st

NOTE: Typically, if a college coach decides to spend money on you for the official visit, this could indicate that you are pretty high on their recruits list. However, don’t disregard a school that is trying to recruit on a budget. Take every opportunity with the same gratitude and respect. If you’re interested in a school, official visits can help you to understand and sense if the school is going to be a good fit for you, or not.

The Ins & Outs of An Official Visit – What You Can Expect From a Visit

So as we now know, official NCAA D1 visits start in your Junior. As soon as you receive an invite from a college coach you should try and make the visit with your family as soon as possible.

The coach will be evaluating the entire duration of your official visit. They will constantly assess you to get a better understanding of the type of person you are. They will be looking at your personality and character traits. Coaches do this to see if you are they type of player who will be a great addition to the team and fit well in with their style of coaching at school culture.

Things to be aware of when on your official visit:

• Your interaction with your parents/guardians
• How you present yourself
• How you answer the coaches questions
• How you interact with the coach
• Do you ask any questions
• How interested are you

NOTE: When on an official visit just remember that you are only on a visit, you have not secured the roster spot yet.