SportsAugust 28, 2026
grayshirt
GRAY-shurt
Definition
To delay a college athlete's enrollment and scholarship start date by a semester or more, often used by coaches to manage roster space or recruiting class limits.
Etymology
Derived from the college tradition of 'redshirting,' where players practice but do not play; 'grayshirt' refers to delaying the start of the scholarship entirely, with the color 'gray' suggesting a middle ground between being fully on the team and not being part of it at all.
In the news
In the article, the term is used to describe why USC requested that a recruit, Michael Bumpus, delay his enrollment, a decision that ultimately led him to sign with Washington State instead.
Long-time WSU football coach Bill Doba dies at 85, remembered with great affection
Read the full article ↗247Sports