▁athlet es ▁are ▁those ▁that ▁the ▁NCAA ▁does ▁not ▁class ify ▁as ▁a ▁" rec ru ited ▁student - ath lete ". ▁They ▁have ▁never ▁made ▁an ▁official ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁school , ▁met ▁with ▁the ▁school ' s ▁athlet ic ▁employees , ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁phone ▁call ▁with ▁them , ▁or ▁received ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁offer . ▁Such ▁athlet es ▁are ▁walk - ons , ▁but ▁can ▁receive ▁scholar ships ▁after ▁en rolling ; ▁although ▁they ▁are ▁immediately ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁play , ▁their ▁scholar ships ▁count ▁for ▁the ▁school ' s ▁qu ota ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁The ▁New ▁Mexico ▁State ▁A gg ies ▁football ▁program ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁bl ues h irt ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ; ▁other ▁football ▁programs ▁include ▁Oklahoma ▁State . ▁ ▁There ▁also ▁exists ▁a ▁" black sh irt " ▁which ▁is ▁unique ▁to ▁Neb r aska ▁football , ▁where ▁the ▁term ▁red sh irt ▁likely ▁origin ated . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁tradition , ▁generally ▁den oting ▁a ▁st arter ▁or ▁otherwise ▁key ▁contrib utor ▁on ▁Neb r aska ' s ▁defense , ▁and ▁is ▁not ▁related ▁to ▁el ig ibility . ▁ ▁Use ▁of ▁status ▁While ▁the ▁red sh irt ▁status ▁may ▁be ▁con ferred ▁by ▁a ▁coach ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁confirmed ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁season , ▁and ▁more ▁specifically , ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁rule ▁a ▁player ▁in el ig ible ▁in ▁advance ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in