The terms Post Grad, Gray Shirt, Redshirt, Green Shirt, and Blue Shirt all relate to strategies for managing an athlete’s college career, particularly in terms of eligibility, recruitment, and competition. While they’re all related to the timing of an athlete’s enrollment, participation, and eligibility, they each have distinct meanings and applications. Here’s a breakdown of each term and the differences between them.
- Post-Grad Year
Definition:
A Post Grad Year refers to an additional year of high school (after completing high school graduation) spent at a prep school, academy, or junior college. This year is typically taken before entering college, often for athletic, academic, or personal development.
– When It Happens:
After high school graduation but before enrolling in a college or university, athletes and students may attend a prep school to take another year of academic courses, train in their sport, or prepare for college life.
– Eligibility Impact:
For NCAA athletes, this year is considered an extra year of high school. As long as the student-athlete doesn’t compete in organized collegiate-level competition, it does not impact their NCAA eligibility. After the post-grad year, they can enter college as a freshman and maintain a typical 4-year eligibility timeline.
– Purpose:
– To improve academics, particularly to increase SAT/ACT scores or improve class rankings.
– To gain additional training, exposure, and competition in their sport, especially for athletes seeking a college scholarship.
– Helps some athletes mature physically or emotionally before entering college athletics.
- Gray Shirt
– Definition:
A Gray Shirt is when a student-athlete delays their enrollment at college for a year after high school, but they don’t redshirt during their first year of college competition. Instead, they often delay their entrance in a way that doesn’t immediately start the “five-year clock” for NCAA eligibility.
– When It Happens:
Gray shirting occurs after high school graduation when an athlete opts to delay their enrollment at college by a year, either by enrolling later (e.g., spring semester after a fall graduation) or by taking time off before starting school.
– Eligibility Impact:
The athlete’s NCAA eligibility clock doesn’t start until they enroll in college and begin their first season of competition. This means that the grayshirt athlete can potentially play a full four years of college athletics, even though they took a year off after high school.
– Purpose:
– Allows athletes to mature physically, develop skills, or gain exposure before entering college athletics.
– Helps manage scholarship offers or roster sizes, or helps the athlete improve in their sport or academics.
- Redshirt
– Definition:
A redshirt refers to a student-athlete who does not compete during their first year (or sometimes later) of college athletics, but they remain on the team and practice. The redshirt year is essentially a “non-competition” year that allows the athlete to develop and preserve their eligibility for future seasons.
– When It Happens:
Typically, in the first year of college athletics, though redshirting can happen at any time during an athlete’s college career. It’s common for athletes to redshirt as freshmen if they’re not physically ready to compete or if the team has an abundance of talent at their position.
– Eligibility Impact:
The athlete’s redshirt year does not count against their four years of NCAA eligibility. This means that after a redshirt year, the athlete has four more years of competition, giving them five years to complete four seasons of eligibility.
– Purpose:
– To allow an athlete time to develop physically, mentally, or emotionally without burning a year of eligibility.
– Allows coaches to preserve an athlete’s eligibility, especially if the athlete isn’t quite ready for college competition.
– Used for athletes recovering from injury, those who need additional time to adjust to the college level, or those in a position with experienced upperclassmen.
- Green Shirt
– Definition:
A green shirt is a less commonly used term and can refer to a situation where an athlete practices with the team but doesn’t play in official games during their first year. This is often a way for coaches to manage an athlete’s development, but without the formal redshirt designation. It’s sometimes used for athletes recovering from injury or for those who are still developing.
– When It Happens:
A green shirt can occur in the first year of an athlete’s college career, where the athlete practices and trains with the team, but doesn’t participate in official games or competition.
– Eligibility Impact:
This term isn’t as formal as redshirting, and its impact on eligibility can vary depending on the situation. It typically doesn’t impact the athlete’s eligibility in the same way as a formal redshirt year, but the athlete still has four years of competition remaining.
– Purpose:
– To give athletes time to develop without taking up a formal redshirt year.
– Often used when an athlete is not physically or mentally ready for competition, but a full redshirt isn’t necessary.
- Blue Shirt
Definition:
A blue shirt is a term used when an athlete is recruited by a college team but does not receive an official athletic scholarship in their first year. The athlete joins the team as a walk-on (non-scholarship player) but can earn a scholarship in subsequent years based on their performance.
– When It Happens:
Blue shirting typically happens when an athlete is recruited, but due to scholarship limitations or other roster management decisions, they aren’t offered a scholarship for their first year. The athlete then participates as a walk-on, with the expectation that they may be awarded a scholarship later based on their contribution or development.
– Eligibility Impact:
The athlete still retains the usual 4 years of eligibility for competition, but their first year is not covered by a scholarship. After that, the athlete can potentially receive a scholarship in future years.
– Purpose:
– Allows programs to bring in talented athletes without offering an immediate scholarship.
– Provides an opportunity for athletes to prove themselves and earn a scholarship in future years based on performance and development.
Summary Table: Key Differences Between Post-Grad, Gray Shirt, Redshirt, Green Shirt, and Blue Shirt
Summary: Understanding the Differences
| Term |
When It Happens |
Eligibility Impact |
Purpose |
| Redshirt |
During the first year of college athletics |
The athlete delays competition for a year, preserving eligibility for 4 years of competition. |
To allow the athlete to develop and preserve eligibility. |
| Grayshirt |
Athlete delays college enrollment for a year after high school |
The “five-year clock” starts later; doesn’t count as part of athletic eligibility. |
Gives the athlete more time to develop academically or athletically. |
| Green Shirt |
Athlete does not play in their first season but isn’t officially redshirting |
Varies; typically, doesn’t affect eligibility like a redshirt would. |
To give the athlete time to develop without using a formal redshirt year. |
| Blue Shirt |
Athlete joins as a walk-on and is not on scholarship in the first year |
The athlete still retains 4 years of eligibility; no scholarship in the first year. |
Used to bring in talented athletes without offering an immediate scholarship. |
– Post-Grad Year is a year taken after high school to gain additional academic or athletic development, typically before entering college.
– Gray Shirt delays an athlete’s enrollment in college (often for a year), starting their eligibility “clock” later, allowing for future competition years.
– Redshirt is a formal strategy used to delay an athlete’s competition in their first year, preserving eligibility for a full four years of competition.
– Green Shirt is a less formal situation where an athlete practices but doesn’t compete in games in their first year, often to develop without formally redshirting.
– Blue Shirt allows an athlete to join the team as a walk-on (without a scholarship) and potentially earn a scholarship in later years.
Each strategy has its own purpose in terms of athlete development, roster management, and NCAA eligibility, allowing both athletes and coaches to plan for long-term success while maximizing athletic potential.
