College football is a sport where recruiting is often as important to success as the actual pregame planning.
And in that endeavor, it does not pay to be cheap. Just ask Texas, which per a report from The Athletic spent $280,000 on a three-day official visit from nine recruits — most important of which was No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning.
The visit reportedly included everything from a cruise on Lady Bird Lake, a stay at a luxurious five-star hotel, a stop at Topgolf and an open bar for parents. And that's only part of the expenses incurred on the visit, all on Texas' dime.
With that, The Sporting News looks at the epic bill that helped Manning — and other key recruits — commit to Steve Sarkisian and Texas:
MORE: Arch Manning bought Steve Sarkisian some time to turn things around at Texas — for now
Arch Manning's recruiting visit
Friday, June 17
Per The Athletic, Texas spent a pretty penny just to get Manning and several key recruits on campus for their three-day trip in June (17-19): $21,000 on airfare, car services and other travel expenses.
Following players and their parents' Friday arrival to Four Seasons Austin — where Queen Elizabeth II stayed in a 1991 trip to Austin — they were treated to a spread that included chicken tenders, pizza, greens, a soft pretzel bar and quesadilla station.
Players then filed to their rooms, where they had personalized snacks and cookies, not to mention customized 6-inch round cakes with burnt-orange frosting and “TEXAS” written across the side in white icing.
The Athletic reports that Texas spent $46,696 on the 34 rooms, which were used by recruits, their family members and select Texas coaches and staffers. That does not include a reported lunch buffet that cost $17,319.71.
Later in the day, Texas arranged for six photo shoots around Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. To help keep the mood light — and keep recruits and their parents from getting bored — the Longhorns rented speakers for $3,359.12 to keep the acoustics quality up.
To end the night, recruits and their families enjoyed a meal on the eighth floor of the stadium that included more than 100 visitors. The meal reportedly included an open bar of cocktails, beer, wine, flatware rental, a bartender's fee and ice sculpture. Final price tag: $29,129.40.
After returning from DKR, parents and recruits found Texas had thought ahead and laid out another lunch buffet identical to the one they enjoyed earlier in the day.
MORE: When is Arch Manning eligible for the NFL Draft? QB prodigy can become latest No. 1 overall pick
Saturday, June 18
Recruits opened the second day of their visit with another five-digit bill: $10,226 for a breakfast buffet, omelet station and liquor and wine.
Following a standard visit to Texas' campus and athletic facility tour, recruits and their options were given the option to take one shuttle to Topgolf or another shuttle back to the Four Seasons.
The 75 guests who attended Top Golf racked up a $9,497.72 tab, which also included beer, liquor and food (three types of fajitas, guacamole and queso, rice, black beans and desserts).
Later that night, recruits and their parents attended a dinner at III Forks, an upscale steakhouse with only three locations nationwide (the other two are in Dallas and Jacksonville, Fla.).
The menu included 46 7-ounce lobsters, 34 bone-in ribeyes, 26 8-ounce filets, 17 New York strips, sea bass, chicken fried lobster and lobster mac and cheese, among other items ordered. Following a $6,000 tip, the trip to III Forks totaled $36,900.
But wait, there's more: Following dinner, recruits, their parents and coaches/staffers boarded an hour-long cruise on Lady Bird Lake that featured an ice cream bar and view of the Austin skyline. Total price tag: $2,357.50.
MORE: The Arch Manning recruiting effect: Texas sees flood of quality commitments for class of 2023
Sunday, June 19
The next day, recruits and their parents skipped the buffet in lieu of breakfast at Sarkisian's house: arguably the most important aspect of the trip. There, recruits got to chat with the second-year head coach and, in some cases, make their decision whether they would attend.
Will Randle, a three-star tight end in the 2023 recruiting class and Manning's teammate at Isidore Newman High School (New Orleans) committed that day: a harbinger of things to come. Three days later, Manning followed suit:
Committed to the University of Texas. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/jHYbjBaF5K
— Arch Manning (@ArchManning) June 23, 2022
The total bill from Manning's visit in June was roughly $280,000. The next weekend was even larger, however: The Athletic reports the itinerary was nearly identical to the one Manning and Co. enjoyed the week before, but because it featured 14 recruits instead of nine, incurred a higher bill: roughly $350,000, bringing the two-weekend total to nearly $630,000.
MORE: Inside the Manning football family tree: How Arch Manning is related to Peyton, Eli and Archie
The tactic appears to have worked, as The Athletic reports that, of the 11 visitors who weren't committed in the latter of the two visits, nine committed. In all, 16 of the 23 recruits who visited over the two weekends committed.
If Texas can turn those commitments into wins in coming years, the Longhorns and their fans will consider it a sound investment.
