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This week, we’re hitting every single dollar schools spend to entice recruits. Let’s dive right in.
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Official visits are more excessive than you imagine
Imagine, just for a moment, you're back in high school. Not literally as yourself. As someone much better at football.
Seventeen. One of the best athletes in your district. And colleges come calling.
How do you decide? You could weigh coaching or pedigree or depth charts or the weather.
But let’s chuck out all those variables. They’re not important to you, our hypothetically good-at-football you.
Instead, you want to decide on how well you were treated at your official visit, each school’s big opportunity to put its very best foot forward.
Do you want somewhere that:
Rolled out an actual red carpet?
Drove you by boat to a private island?
Hoisted you high above the mountains in a hot air balloon?
Catered a sit-down banquet at a wedding venue?
Let you rip around on go-karts after a trip to a water park?
Got a choice?
What did you pick?
Luckily, you aren’t stuck there, thanks to the transfer portal. But the schools you were choosing from were:
1. Texas Tech; 2. Minnesota; 3. New Mexico; 4. Texas A&M; 5. NC State.
Because the Wolfpack also sprang for Bojangles, we here at FOIAball are heading to Raleigh.
High school recruits can visit schools as much as they please, but are only allowed one “official visit” per program, which is entirely on the university’s dime.
Schools can fly players and family members to campus, feed them whatever they want, and entertain them however they please.
Yes, actual entertainment costs are capped at $60 a person. But everywhere else, there’s no limit.
And this is college football. Restraint isn’t in the dictionary. So… $14,000 in balloons? Sure, why not? $20,000 at a lakeside honky-tonk? Alright. $60,000 in prime rib? These are hungry boys. $4,000 on a smoothie truck? Naturally.
It adds up. Like a million dollars adds up.
To see what goes into landing a five-star recruit, FOIAball requested itemized spending from schools on weekends they hosted official visits this summer.
Most occur from the end of May to the beginning of July, when the coaching staff is free from game planning and, if you are visiting Minnesota, the weather is nice.
Let’s start with Louisville, which sent us an entirely unitemized spreadsheet. They dropped $184,000 this summer.
On what, only Jeff Brohm knows.
Boring. But everywhere else, we can paint a pretty good picture.
Like at Texas A&M, where the school shelled out $924,481 over several weekends. Half that went just to travel costs.
In the process, the Aggies locked up at least four five-star recruits and ten other players, according to 247Sports.
The main entertainment for the weekend was a catered banquet at a wedding venue near the school, the Weinberg at Wixon Valley (It’s very Love Is Blind-coded), which cost $18,000 to rent and where the school ordered $260,000 in catering.
From a place called Buppy’s.
Decorating costs weren’t delineated. But a few years prior, an event coordinator posted a few pictures to Facebook, allowing a peek at the last of Jimbo Fisher’s motivational tactics.
The 2tand4rd is TEDPG. How Jimbo botched a TEXAS acrostic with a two-letter headstart is beyond us.
The school spent another $25,000 with the restaurant group that runs concessions at Kyle Field, perhaps for an event at the stadium.
For fun, Texas A&M took recruits to Cadillac Ranch Bar & Grill, where the check ran $20,000. The venue sits on Lake Bryan, which is really a cooling reservoir for a gas power plant. How very Texas.
The bar features live music and some incredible Facebook reviews.
“The staff lacks customer service skills ... both the waiter and waitress were shotgunning drinks behind the bar. Weren't able to order food either because they were all of a sudden out of hamburgers? To top it off, they stole the candles for my brother's birthday cake.”
No notes.
Lakes feature prominently in convincing recruits to come to Minnesota, which spent around $500,000 on two weekends of recruiting.
High schoolers considering the Golden Gophers took a ride to Spray Island, a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s where head coach PJ Fleck goes to grill out and unwind, according to an Instagram from the island's owner.
I know you’re wondering if they got stuff for s’mores on the island. Of course, they got stuff for s’mores on the island.
For the weekends of May 29 to June 1 and June 12-15, the school spent over $70,000 on flights to the Twin Cities.
There, they kept them caffeinated with $1,000 worth of Starbucks.
The program fed them on hearty Midwestern fare. Two meals at 801 Chophouse totaled $60,000 in prime ribs, strip steaks, and porterhouses.
Recruits also ate at several lake-based establishments that specialize in walleye.
But growing teenage footballers can’t live on freshwater fish alone. Fleck’s team kept them rolling in snacks, dropping $1,200 on brownies, $1,400 on popcorn, and $4,000 on a smoothie truck. Dairy-free smoothies, to be precise.
What did all that money get them?
According to 247Sports, the Golden Gophers hosted 21 athletes. They landed one four-star and ten others the first weekend, two four-stars and nine others the second.
And they did that with only $2,200 of balloons.
We can’t say they lost out on one prospect who was unimpressed by their inflatables, but a recruit who visited both Minnesota and Texas Tech opted for Lubbock.
Was the $14,000 the Red Raiders spent on balloons the difference?
Yes. We have a photo.
Or was it the red carpet they rolled out ($142 in rental fees)?
The school paid $23,000 for airfare and put everyone up at Lubbock’s Overton Hotel. Then they stuffed them to the gills with food.
They dropped almost $30,000 across 12 different checks at Las Brisas Steakhouse, which r/lubbock deems second or third best in the city.
But that’s just the beginning. Receipts included too many expenses on food to list, but we spotted ice cream, Torchy’s Tacos, a different steakhouse (this one Brazilian), three different trips to a fried chicken and champagne spot, Bundt cakes, popcorn, pizza, Thai food, burgers, and Tex-Mex barbecue.
And $200 on snow cones.
A candy buffet also greeted recruits. To showcase those snacks, the school bought $300 of vases.
Who are we to argue what’s reasonable? If it works, it works.
The weekend of June 12, the school landed a four-star cornerback and four others, all for the comparatively tidy fee of $230,000.
At New Mexico, the smallest school we received data for, the Lobos spent the least.
But they definitely went the highest.
The school paid $80,000 for flights and put visitors up at the Hotel Albuquerque. Chain steakhouses were a popular choice (a grand at Ruth’s Chris and $1,400 at Fogo de Chao).
But to show future Lobos the true beauty of the American Southwest, New Mexico expensed $2,000 for hot air balloon rides with Rainbow Ryders for recruits to “experience the scenic Rio Grande and enchanting southwest vistas like never before.”
Two grand on a hot air balloon is a steal compared to $23,000 on go-karts.
That’s what NC State paid while hosting 47 recruits for official visits in June.
For a half-million total, 16 committed.
How could you say no, after a trip to Fantasy Lake Adventure Park, an entirely inflatable water park built on a quarry? Or after hitting golf balls at an imitation Top Golf, Drive Shack, which cost the school $12,000.
To feed the kids, they patronized barbecue spots, Bojangles, and an Italian restaurant in downtown Raleigh. There, six meals rang up a tab of $90,000.
Not to be outdone by the Red Raiders' big balloon spend, the Wolfpack’s flower budget was $9,000 for the weekends.
Knowing all that, where would you pick?
Enjoyed this story? That offer we teased is still here.
Recruiting lessons only work if you take them
College recruiting is a zero-sum game. Any player not coming your way is an athlete another school can use to beat you.
Just look at the above lengths programs go to lock down talent.
But one edge we’re certain doesn’t make a difference is signing up for an e-learning course and never finishing it.
Tudor University, which (sigh) says its mascot is the honey badger, offers online courses to help coaches become "certified college recruiting experts."
What certification, you might ask? Not one that would hold up in a court of law. Just a piece of paper from them.
But it’s getting people to pay. Even if they don’t finish the program.
Emails sent to Idaho Vandals Coach Thomas Ford, obtained by FOIAball, show he’s been neglecting his lessons.
The five-course class takes coaches through different levels of recruiting.
But Ford’s recent Progress Report shows a bunch of zeros.
Both “Level 2 - Basic Collegiate Recruiting Skills” and “Level 3 - Collegiate Recruiting Best Practices” are zero percent complete. As are Level 4 and 5.
Meanwhile, Ford’s 2025 recruiting class ranks 140th in the nation.
That’s sandwiched right between Harvard and Wofford.
Though we would never bash someone trying to improve themselves, we say cancel the $14.95 a month subscription.
Because at Level 3, he’ll be taught “how to construct a successful college visit for a prospect and family.”
He can get all that info just by reading FOIAball.
Chicken parm pointers for the rest of your life
I can’t tell you how to make the greatest chicken parm of your life. I always strive for that goal, but most of mine fall short. Only one in a dozen or so is truly transcendent.
But I have a rubric that, even when you fall short, gets you darn near close to perfection.
Chicken: You don’t need fancy Bell & Evans breasts. Buy something cheap and give it a quick brine to ensure it stays moist. Toss two breasts in a quart of cold water. Add a couple of tablespoons of MSG, which works quick magic on meat.
Slice the breasts in half width-wise after. Don’t attempt to butterfly. Those heart-shaped, platter-sized parms are too unwieldy for any pan in your kitchen.
Pounding: Take the chicken much thinner than what you want the finished dish to be. For an inch-and-a-half-thick parm, it really needs to be thwacked down to a half-inch. Sandwich it between plastic wrap and go to town.
Seasoning: Flavor every layer. Salt the breasts. Season flour heartily with salt, pepper, and cayenne. You won’t notice the heat, but it will quietly liven up things. Add a healthy splash of milk or cream to your eggs. Opt for fine, plain breadcrumbs. Doctor with salt, pepper, loads of grated parm, and fresh minced parsley. Don’t skimp on the cheese. It turns the whole cutlet into a Parmesan crisp.
Breading: Use flat and shallow plates or a baking sheet, which helps each layer adhere to every inch. The flour should be light but thorough. No pink spots. Really let your breasts slosh in the egg. Then smoosh it down into the breadcrumbs very firmly. More than once. Ignore that wet-hand, dry-hand technique. Your fingers will get gloopy. It’s okay.
Sauce: A 32-ounce can of crushed tomatoes needs minimal help; the acid and sweetness we want already present. Toast garlic in olive oil before adding a diced yellow onion and some salt. Cook on high, getting the edges brown. Move to the side and sizzle chili flake in the oil to bloom. Caramelize a spoonful of tomato paste by pushing it around the pan. Add the tomatoes and whatever water is needed to jostle the last bits loose. If you start this first, it will be ready in time.
Frying: Aim for something more than a saute but not quite a pan-fry. About an eighth-inch of vegetable oil. The key is relentlessly fussing with the heat and meat. Turn the knob up after adding the breasts. Lower as they start to cook.
Steer the cutlet to get it evenly browned. Let it go for a minute so the breading doesn’t fall off, then maneuver the breasts around. When brown bits creep up the edge, flip. Spoon a little hot oil onto any pale parts and crank the heat back up. We want to develop a quick crust on this side without overcooking the chicken.
Sprinkle with salt after you pull them. As we said, flavor every layer.
When all your breasts are done, grab a baking sheet. Do not use a high-walled dish. We aren’t immersing this in a pool of sauce. A baking sheet will help you exercise restraint. Just a ladleful for the bottom is enough. A scant half-ladle on top each one.
Cheese: Polly-O whole milk is the only acceptable option. Slice it a little less than a quarter-inch thick. Shingled width-wise, three should cover the whole breast. Rip strips off the block to patch any bare spots. Drizzle with some olive oil to aid in browning and, why not, more parm.
Cooking: Do not bake. Broil. Let your broiler go on high for a few minutes to get ripping, then start constructing.
When ready, slide the sheet in on a rack two-thirds of the way up. Wait for little brown spots to develop on the cheese, then flip the sheet around to let other spots cook. Watch religiously and pull right before the darkest spot turns black.
Finish with more parm, some salt, and that leftover parsley.
It may not be absolute perfection, but it will be soul-nourishing. Cheesy, saucy, crispy, meaty, just a little soggy.
And following these steps, you’ll eventually make one you think about for the rest of your life.
And hey, we don’t have good photos (I forgot to take them), but we have a TikTok to help you through it.
@foiaballvideos Charred Garlic Spicy Vodka Chicken Parm .. … Chop garlic and set in a hot pan and let get a little black (it”ll be okay!). Add oil to brow... See more
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