OV at D3

Since most D3 schools don’t have the budget to offer OV but will there be a criteria/certain situation for an unofficial visit to fall into a likely OV?

Probably an official invite during designated “recruit” weekends. Schools hold several of them in the fall up until February from our experience. It can be a mass mailing if you’re not at the top of a coaches list, or it can be a direct request by the coaching staff. S took visits only to schools where he was directly asked to visit, ONLY after coaches promised to offer support. As a family, we took several unofficial visits as a non-recruit, but requested to meet coaching staffs once we were done with campus tours, info sessions etc. Got great insight from coaches that were very accommodating, even if S wasn’t actively on their radars.

Hi kchendds - from your other posts I see your D is a Jr vball player and she’ll be taking an unofficial visit to this Midwestern D3 school in a week or 2. Are you wondering if there may be a situation that would result in the school offering her an Official Visit?

You probably know this, but an OV is generally paid for by the school, takes place after the 1st day of classes Sr year and is limited to 48 hrs. As you noted, athletic budget constraints at the D3 level mean that most D3s don’t pay for OVs. If she is already going to visit campus next week, meet w/ coach and team and going to stay overnight with a team member - I’m not sure I see any real advantage to the coach offering a (probably unfunded) OV in the fall.

So how do you know if a coach is offering you an official unofficial if OV is not a common practice in D3? I just want to see how to interpret the coach’s attempt.

I think the hour-long phone conversation, the follow up with her club coaches and the invite to come out and stay with a team member are pretty good signs that she’s (coach) seriously interested - whether you want to call it an unofficial or an ‘official unofficial’.

@gointhruaphase gave you some good advice on the questions your daughter should be asking once she’s there.

Our D took several D3 officials and was asked to come out to several others, transportation on our dime but all other expenses paid by college. Official visits happened after preread was completed and she was given the go-ahead by admissions. As far as unofficial visits, we had lengthy meetings with a number of coaches during our summer college tour prior to senior year. All coaches we contacted were eager to meet with us informally. As far as how you know when an official visit is being offered, coaches, when reporting results of prereads, asked directly, “When can we get you out for a visit.” D spent little time with the coach on the official visits. It was mostly time spent with the team and attending a couple classes.

Varsky, AceMom, Tmv and kchen,

It is so very tempting to hijack this thread into the area of official vs. unofficial visits to D3 schools. As usual, I think the terms are a misnomer. I would simply draw the distinction between coach invites and the athlete asking for a meeting. I would define an official D3 OV as anytime the coach invites an athlete up to stay overnight, regardless of whether it is before or after pre-reads, junior or senior year or whether it is on a recruit weekend. Whatever the circumstance, the costs of the visit to the D3 school for a coach-invite visit is negligible. The cost of a “stay” – perhaps on the couch or floor of a dorm room is “priceless.” The cost of a few meals is low. So, really, there isn’t much that the school foots the bill for. The coach only has to coordinate the visit so that a student host is arranged and meals are paid for. What I read into the situation is that the coach invited the student – and I don’t think they invite all students. Whenever this happens, it is a good thing, but absolutely not a sure thing.

Compare that with a student requests a visit. The coach coordinates nothing except the 30 minutes or so of talking to the athlete.

Once again, I am agreeing with Varsky.

Ditto, ditto,ditto. They invite probably 4-5 times as many students as they need, depending on the school and the sport, and it’s like a big slumber party with some meal tickets and a social event to see if the kid is likeable, and can handle themself, and then The Talk with The Coach…that’s an OV for D3.