I don't necessarily disagree with you on the very limited point you make (recruits basing their decision on the appearances), but some more in-tune people certainly hold an opposite opinion, at least considering the visits to have a larger purpose than securing immediate commitments. From the same column:
Same goes for the Big Ten's decision to spurn the annual ESPN "Car Wash," during which coaches come to Bristol, Conn., to promote their programs on TV, radio and online. Every SEC, ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12 coach opted to participate except for Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury, but the Big Ten coaches balked this year.
Think about that: Coaches turning down a broadcasting partner offering free promotion to a nation of fans and recruits.
Three coaches went ahead and made their own arrangements: Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State's Mark Dantonio and Franklin, the second-year coach at Penn State. (An Illinois spokesman said Tim Beckman declined because of a scheduling issue.)
"ESPN obviously offers an enormous platform to talk about our team," NU spokesman Paul Kennedy said via email, "and we get to visit with a huge group of Northwestern alums. ESPN was nice enough to extend the invite again this year, and we didn't hesitate."
It's a shame so many others did.
So it's fact, not opinion, that at least three Big 10 coaches think it is worth it, two of whom (and maybe three, this year at least) are out-recruiting Nebraska this cycle; and it is certainly a fact that Pelini was routinely savaged on this board for his vacations.
