The importance of the official visit

[Rocco]

I posted this in a thread on the football side, figured it was more appropriate over here:


The whole point of an official visit is for the recruit to get a true feel for the school that he may be picking. While program history, facilities, playing time and proximity to home are all important, their interactions with the football team and staff behind the scenes, developing a good comfort zone and developing solid relationships can make or break a commitment.

In addition to seeing a bball game, they will also:

• get schmoozed during an awesome meal at Dinosaur BBQ,
• get walked through the updated football wing,
• given a tour of the famous Carrier Dome,
• shown the Heisman Trophy,
• understand the importance of #44 at SU,
• walk through the film rooms and shown how they prep during game week,
• given a detailed description of how each of them will fit into the system,
• shown the plans for the IPF,
• stay in the dorms with one of the players,
• meet with all of the tutors,
• hear about the success an SU education can provide outside of football,
• go out and party with the players around campus.
• Most importantly, they get to have candid convos with Shafer and the other coaches.

SU does a good job during official visits. They go all out to stress the family atmosphere to these kids and their parents/guardians. I'm expecting several verbals during the few big recruiting weekends they have set up. We are in on some top-notch kids that have a legit interest in coming here. Opportunity is on the table at Syracuse and the coaches are relaying that to the recruits. It's pretty impressive how this staff has been able to get in on some of these studs, but now let's hope we can reel a few of them in. I've heard good things so far...

 

[Dcuse]

[
All we need is two chairs and Scott Shafer to seal things

 

[orangepassion]

Hope some fans can bring in posters of the recruits to the game and get their attention

 

[Whitey23]

 

[Rocco]

As you can tell, this program does very well during official visits. The level of attention and one-on-one private meetings Shaf provides these recruits is awesome. And that obviously is in addition to all of the work that White, McD and Lester put in.

 

[Upstate]

Let's be real, too, any official after all of these regular season games are done, no team can give you the experience that SU can. How many teams can show you an event in the place you're going to be playing their football games? The bball team and its supporters (I'd imagine) have a big deal to do with post-season OV success. It's not like you're going to walk into State College and head to a more-than-half-full Beaver Stadium the way you'd see the Dome on an OV with the basketball game going on. Gives the recruit a sense of atmosphere.

 

[jr4750]

As you can tell, this program does very well during official visits. The level of attention and one-on-one private meetings Shaf provides these recruits is awesome. And that obviously is in addition to all of the work that White, McD and Lester put in.

Rocco, any feeling on Sykes and Slayton?

 

[Rocco]

Rocco, any feeling on Sykes and Slayton?

Sykes - long shot, ends up at ND unless they back off IMO
Slayton - position of need, bullish

 

[jr4750]

Sykes - long shot, ends up at ND unless they back off IMO
Slayton - position of need, bullish

Kind of what I thought. Both those guys would be tremendous pickups, but fighting against ND is never fun or easy, or successful for that matter!

 

[Ottoble]

Let's be real, too, any official after all of these regular season games are done, no team can give you the experience that SU can. How many teams can show you an event in the place you're going to be playing their football games? The bball team and its supporters (I'd imagine) have a big deal to do with post-season OV success. It's not like you're going to walk into State College and head to a more-than-half-full Beaver Stadium the way you'd see the Dome on an OV with the basketball game going on. Gives the recruit a sense of atmosphere.

Agreed totally I was hoping for some high flying dunks during the Binghamton game to really fire up the crowd but we were shooting so well there wasn't as much inside play. The 3s from Cooney et al did get the crowd up and knowing the recruits were there I fired up my section a few times to the best of my ability in a 30pt demolishing of a game. Crowd did also get fired up at the end for the walkons and the recruits were all standing up cheering them on also so that was a good way to finish. I hope they enjoyed the game and their visit overall.