Frequently asked questions

TJC’s Academic Advising Department receives many questions about the available Redshirt Athletic Program and the details.  This page is intended to provide more information as this program factors into many potential student’s decisions to attend TJC.  After reading this, if you have additional questions that are not referenced, please feel free to share them via our Academic Advising Text Line at 903-231-7121.

We love that many potential or current TJC students are interested in athletics either as a primary goal or potential extracurricular activity and know this is an important aspect of students’ academic consideration and journey.  When available, Redshirt Athletic Programs allow students to take Kinesiology classes, some of which are taught by coaches or assistant coaches, and to remain informed about potential opportunities to try out for a team.

Currently, the only two available Redshirt Athletic Options are:

• Football
• Men’s Basketball

Redshirt classes are offered at the start of each Fall and Spring term. To register for these Kinesiology classes, students must have completed the admissions onboarding process and be eligible to register for classes.  At that time, the student will share with their academic advisor their interest in participating in Redshirt and the academic schedule will be developed.

Since many students and families will decide to invest substantial time and finances into deciding to pursue the Redshirt program in the hopes of securing a place on a team, we want to ensure a complete understanding of what the Redshirt Athletic Program really means before fully committing to TJC.  While we know many hopeful student-athletes desire to make the TJC team, then go to a Division 1 school, and potentially then possible professional opportunities, the fact is such a small percentage of those students make it to any of these options.  However, achieving a wonderful life through focusing on the right academic major is something available to all students.

Here are the most common FAQs we hope will help with this decision-making process:

• Does Redshirt mean I am a walk-on and part of the TJC team?
  • No, the Redshirt program is designed to be a semester or two-long tryout for prospective student-athletes to earn their way on the team potentially.  Students must have the necessary physical talent and remain in good academic standing for consideration.  Academics should be the primary focus, with athletics being secondary.  There have been many students who have the talent but do not focus on academics, so they are not eligible to be considered.  If you are a transfer student, you must also be in good academic standing from the institution you are transferring from for eligibility consideration.
• Can anyone sign up for the Redshirt program?
  • Yes, for the sports offering, it is each Fall or Spring. However, this is not recommended for students who do not have experience playing the sport of interest.
• What are the chances of Redshirt program students making the team?
  • Although there are many success stories of student-athletes from the Redshirt program playing for the TJC Football Apaches and beyond, less that 10% of those involved in the Redshirt program end up on the team.  For Basketball, this percentage is even less.  TJC’s Athletic Department works very hard year-round to locate and recruit the best potential student-athletes based on a combination of talent and evidence of academic success
• What do the day-to-day activities look like in the Redshirt program?
  • Students are put through a variety of speed, endurance, strategy, and mental exercises to see if they are fit to be considered as additions to the team of interest.  Again, students must focus on doing well academically and maintain at least a 2.0+ GPA at TJC.  For basketball, the Redshirt class is offered in an 8-week format.  For football, the class is 16 weeks.
• Do Redshirt students live in athletic housing?
  • No, Redshirt students are not part of the team and are considered part of the general student population.  Redshirt students would have to apply for general housing like any other student until such a time they are officially part of a team
• Do Redshirt students receive scholarships?
  • No, Redshirt students are part of the general student population and can apply for the annual TJC scholarship if open, utilize federal financial aid, military benefits if eligible, or third-party scholarships to help fund their education and expenses while attending TJC
• If I have other athletic-related questions, who can I reach out to?
  • The best source for purely athletic questions can be found at: https://www.apacheathletics.com/landing/index

Thank you for taking the time to review this information, and we hope it helps with your decision to join TJC.  We look forward to having you as a student first and potentially as a student-athlete.  For additional related questions, feel free to text our Academic Advising Text Line at 903-231-7121.