LITTLE ROCK — In the information age, recruiting has increasingly become more sophisticated with college programs looking to improve their chances with top prospects by utilizing the latest technology.
Arkansas teamed with Bluechip Athletic Solutions, an Atlanta-based company, in the summer of 2009 to help assist in the area of technology and marketing tools. In September of 2009, the partnership led to the creation of the popular thisisarkansasfootball.com website that’s received praise by recruits and fans alike.
The latest advancement is an app that can be downloaded on mobile devices, which increases the exposure for the Arkansas football program.
“Thisisarkansasfootball.com has been great for us,” said Andy Wagner, the director of sports video for the Razorbacks’ football program. “But in this day of technology,it does not play everything on the iPads and phones. This app that we created - ‘The Petrino Plan’ - is a way for us to make thisisarkansasfootball.com mobile.”
Consumers can go to iTunes or Apple App Store and type in “Petrino” and The Petrino Plan will appear.
“It’s real simple,” Wagner said. “It doesn’t take very long to download.”
Hog coaches are now equipped with iPads that allow them to give a detailed description of what life is like for the student-athlete at Arkansas. Wagner said the feedback from the coaches has been positive.
“They see it as another tool that will help them with high school coaches or with recruits when they’re able to meet with them,” Wagner said. “It’s something you can direct a recruit to and get him to download after you talk to him over the phone. It’s something they’re excited about because it does show off the facilities. It shows off our new plans for our new facilities. It allows them to see the direction Arkansas football is going.”
Often the parents, guardians or others that help the prospect with the decision making process are unable to accompany the athlete on an official or unofficial visit. The app serves as a tool to inform them.
“So not only can they see it,” Wagner said of the recruits. “But the people around them can see what the University of Arkansas has to offer. I think that’s the biggest advantage for us. The more we can put ourselves out there in front of people, the better off we are. It’s a free app on any of the platforms, and another great thing is that it’s available to the public.”
Arkansas is among the first in college football to be rolling out an app.
“We’re not the first.
We’re in the first wave,” said Wagner, who attended the Collegiate Sports Video Association national convention in Denver this week. “But it’s definitely something where a lot of the schools out there are seeing the advantages to this. LSU has a similar app, as well as Notre Dame. It’s competitive, we’re trying to put ourselves out there and create a look that we like and that the kids will like.”
Wagner said Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, the administration and Coach Bobby Petrino have allowed Arkansas to stay on the forefront of the latest technology.
“They’re always supportive of our attempts to be on the leading edge of doing things that other people are going to look at and try to do as well,” Wagner said. “In the three to four years since we’ve been here, we’ve been able to stay out front and do things that are positive for the program. It’s all because we have tremendous support all the way down the line letting us go out and do what we feel like we have to do to bring in the best players.” LINEBACKER VISITING
Linebacker Robert Atiga of Ephraim (Utah) Snow College will finish his official visit to Arkansas today.
Atiga, 6-3, 240 pounds, 4.5 seconds of the 40-yard dash, has taken official visits to Utah, Oregon State and Washington.
If he chooses Arkansas, Atiga would join offensive tackle Chris Stringer, 6-7, 305, 5.1, of Glendora, (Calif.) Citrus Community College as late additions to the 2011 class.
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports, Pages 27 on 05/15/2011