Latest Trend in College Football Recruiting: Helicopters

For college sports, recruiting is one of the most important components of building an athletic program, and, correspondingly, a frontier for innovation. Coaches must always be one step ahead of their opponents, and, sometimes, a few steps ahead of the times, and are constantly adding new tricks to their arsenal. Even the NCAA’s restrictions help the creativity: Take away one toy (like, say, text messages), and coaches will invariably find another way to get in touch with and wow prospects.↵↵As the New York Times reports, one such way involves helicopters. The Times writes that the new practice of chartering choppers to go to high school games may actually make sense for some schools, like UCLA, where Los Angeles traffic makes conventional, non-airborne means of transport more difficult. But, let’s be honest: It’s a flashy attention draw, too, and the Bruins’ Rick Neuheisel knows it:↵

↵↵⇥Neuheisel said it was just as important to fly over the field so the players and fans notice the helicopter as it was to land and watch the game.⇥⇥↵⇥↵⇥“It may be more fluff than practical if it isn’t difficult to drive,” Neuheisel said. “But I think when the practicality is there, then it’s certainly a useful tool.”⇥⇥↵⇥

↵↵↵Sure, Neuheisel is probably right in that there is some value to having a way to sky over the freeway, and I would guess helicopters help other coaches get to remote schools. But let this sink in: This is a country where, even in trying economic times, college football coaches are justifying the practicality of taking helicopters to see teenagers play football and making some sense.↵

↵↵Whether that’s great or grotesque is your call. ↵

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