What the visit used to be
An official visit weekend was an experience event. Campus tours, meals with coaches, time with players, a feel for the culture. Families toured facilities, sat in coaching meetings, and tried to answer one question: does this place feel right?
The financial question was separate, and often vague. Scholarship plus cost-of-attendance. The numbers were standard across the board. The decision was about fit.
What it is now
Revenue sharing changed the meeting agenda.
Compensation discussions now occupy meaningful time inside official visit weekends at many FBS programs. Some schools address financial terms early in the visit; others surface the conversation Sunday morning. A few programs have pre-negotiated total package numbers with families before the official visit takes place.
As ESPN reported this spring, one program general manager described it directly: "Any kid committing early in the spring, it's because they have some kind of term sheet in front of them." Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key framed it even more plainly: "With some kids now, there's not one thing you can do over those 48 hours that matters one bit. The only question is: 'What am I getting paid?'"
For families who arrive at an official visit expecting a campus experience, that conversation can feel jarring if they are not prepared for it.
What families need to understand
Financial conversations during a visit are not unusual. They are increasingly standard at FBS programs with revenue-sharing budgets. Not every family will face a detailed negotiation, but almost every family will encounter some version of the conversation.
The number discussed in a meeting room is not the final number. Revenue-sharing contracts are subject to clearinghouse review. Third-party NIL packages require separate scrutiny. A verbal commitment to a figure does not mean that figure will clear.
The purpose of the visit is still the same. Campus fit, staff credibility, academic environment, and genuine playing opportunity all matter, regardless of what a revenue figure looks like on paper. A program that leads every conversation with compensation and trails off on everything else is signaling something worth noticing.
What this means for fall visit planning
The Early Signing Period opens December 3. For uncommitted 2027 families planning official visits this fall, preparation has a new component: understanding what financial conversation to expect, who will be in the room, and what questions are worth asking before that weekend begins.
Being ready for that conversation is not the same as negotiating it. But walking in unprepared is the most avoidable mistake in the modern official visit.