Report: The University of Texas Spent Close to $280,000 on Arch Manning Recruitment Visit

Sometimes you need to pay in order for a recruit to want to play.

The University of Texas reportedly spared no expense in their pursuit of recruit Arch Manning this summer, who happens to be Peyton and Eli Manning’s nephew. During Manning’s official recruitment visit to Austin in June, the university spent close to $280,000, according to The Athletic, which obtained receipts and expense invoices with open records requests. Some of the expenses incurred included airfare, 5-star hotels, food, desserts, entertainment and an open bar for parents.

The Athletic broke down, at least on what was being documented, where and how Texas spent all of the $280,000 that weekend.

Here’s a breakdown:

• $21,000 on travel for the recruits and their families that included airfare for those out of state.
• $46,696 on 34 hotel rooms at the Four Seasons Austin.
• $17,319.71 on a lunch buffet on Friday.
• $1,813.74 on custom cakes and other snacks in each recruit’s hotel room.
• $3,359.12 on speaker rentals for photo shoots at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center.
• $29,129.40 on a dinner buffet at DKR that included flatware rental, drinks and an an ice sculpture.
• $11,880 on an open bar for the recruits’ parents.
• Another hotel buffet at 2 a.m.
• $10,226 on a breakfast buffet on Saturday.
• $9,497.72 on a trip to Top Golf for 75 total guests that included food and drinks.
• $36,900 on dinner at III Forks Steakhouse that included 46 7-ounce lobsters, 34 bone-in ribeyes, 26 8-ounce filets, 17 New York strips, sea bass, chicken fried lobster, lobster mac and cheese, and more.
• $2,357.50 for an hour-long boat cruise on Lady Bird Lake that included dessert from Amy’s Ice Cream.
• $31,628.75 bar tab for the parents at the W Austin hotel.

Arch Manning verbally committed soon after the visit.

The five-star quarterback tweeted hat he was verbally committing to the Longhorns.

Looks as if rolling out the red carpet for Arch paid off…

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