Schools and Collectives Use NIL Deals to Cover Recruits’ Unofficial Visit Costs

Power Four programs and collectives are covering travel costs for unofficial visits through third-party contracts, cash payments and creative bookkeeping, CBS Sports reported after speaking with more than two-dozen sources including agents, general managers and former collective staffers.

Unofficial visits are supposed to be self-funded under NCAA rules. A Power Four general manager told CBS Sports that many recruits this spring asked schools to pay for the trips.

"You see all these guys making multi-day unofficial visits that are official visits," the general manager said. " One school offered a high-profile 2026 commit a $10,000 NIL contract last fall to cover expenses for a long flight. CBS Sports examined the contract.

The recruit had to make one tailgate appearance, three Instagram posts with only one required on his feed, and sign 10 memorabilia items. The player's agent said the recruit flew out for a game, completed an appearance and received payment. Collectives have also arranged transportation and lodging outside official channels.

A former collective staffer described renting buses and blocks of hotel rooms under a staffer or booster's name to bring 7-on-7 teams to campus. The same source said collectives used pre-existing hotel blocks reserved for player families to house recruits attending games on short notice.

In one high-profile recruiting battle several years ago, a collective sent a private jet for a five-star recruit and his friends to attend a music festival.

The collective also changed the recruit's phone plan and phone number to limit contact from another school, the former collective staffer said. A former high-ranking SEC staffer described an organization outside the school and collective created specifically to aid recruiting.