The NCAA has lifted the limit on the number of official visits a recruit can take, but schools are still limited in how many they can host on expense paid trips. This change could turn out to be advantageous for the Oregon Ducks, however, they will still need to play the numbers game. Coaches will have to judge whether or not to host a recruit if they had already visited other schools. Oregon coach Dan Lanning vocalized his support for lifting institutional limits on official visits. He believes it should be a matter of judgment, budget constraints, and strategy when deciding whether to bring a recruit for an official visit. Although the NCAA’s revised policy may increase the chances of getting the recruits, the school still has to work within the limits of the permitted number of visits they are allowed to host.
Football programs are still limited to 56 official visits per year, with men’s basketball teams also receiving a limit of 28 official visits in a rolling two-year period. Women’s basketball programs and baseball teams are limited to 24 official visits over a rolling two-year period and 25 official visits per year, respectively.
While the new policy promises to benefit schools who can regularly attract top recruits, it still holds risks and uncertainties for the schools who cannot match the quantity of elite schools. While the Oregon Ducks do not expect the change to affect their approach, it remains to be seen how institutions with lesser recruiting budgets will approach the new policy. The lifting of the limit on official visits has had a significant impact on recruiting, and it remains to be seen how schools will choose to adapt.
