Oklahoma State football is changing how it recruits prospective players. Instead of athletes just visiting campus on a visit, Stillwater, Okla. and the confines of Boone Pickens Stadium are coming to them — virtually.
With the continuing intersection of virtual reality and 360-degree video with sports, Oklahoma State recruits can now visit campus and witness state-of-the-art facilities from their own living room in a matter of minutes.
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Oklahoma State partnered with MANDT VR and CEO/co-founder Neil Mandt to produce the 360-degree video series depicting campus life, game day atmosphere, multi-million dollar amenities, Cowboys athletics and the surrounding Stillwater area. It is a game-changer for not only the Cowboys but also a disruptor to the traditional recruiting model for college athletics.
Other programs, like the University of Michigan in 2015, have also alluded to using virtual reality for recruiting purposes.
An immersive experience is coming. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/stKljoCRkv
— Michigan Athletics (@UMichAthletics) August 4, 2015
In 2016, Penn State and Miami (Fla.) have found additional uses for virtual reality, both partnering with EON Sports VR and launching an exclusive VR channel to better engage with their fan bases. The immersive content will provide fans behind-the-scenes footage of practices, post-game locker room coaches’ talks and other unique experiences.