| 100% | REDSHIRT | 8 | Hold aside for a year, as a college athlete |
| 74% | REDSHIRTS | 9 | Holds aside for a year, in college sports |
| 65% | SHIRT | 5 | Hold aside, as a college athlete, to extend his eligibility |
| 47% | TABLED | 6 | Held back for later, as a committee proposal |
| 46% | ENDOW | 5 | Give money for, as a college scholarship |
| 46% | RENEW | 5 | Order for another year, as a magazine |
| 45% | RENEW | 5 | Extend for another year, as a Netflix subscription |
| 44% | HEISMAN | 7 | Big honor for a college athlete |
| 44% | SEM | 3 | Half a college year, for short |
| 44% | DONOR | 5 | Financial supporter, as for a college |
| 44% | LIT | 3 | Held a match to, as kindling for a campfire |
| 43% | GPA | 3 | Academic figure for a college athlete (Abbr.) |
| 43% | EARMARK | 7 | Set aside, as for a particular purpose |
| 43% | GPA | 3 | Academic fig. for a college athlete, e.g. |
| 43% | SEM | 3 | Half of a college academic year, for short |
| 43% | ENROLL | 6 | Sign up for, as a course in college |
| 42% | KNUTEROCKNE | 11 | College Football Hall of Fame coach on a 1988 U.S. commemorative postage stamp who worked as a mail dispatcher at a Chicago post office for four years (2 wds.) |
| 42% | PETTY | 5 | Liable to hold on to a minor grudge for years |
| 40% | STING | 5 | Frontman for "The Police" who worked as a teacher for two years |
| 40% | SENTENCEDTOYALE | 15 | Given “four years at a New Haven university” as punishment for a crime? |
| 40% | ROOM | 4 | 2015 drama film in which Brie Larson played a woman who has been held captive for seven years |
| 39% | ASA | 3 | Chemical (abbr.) still registered as a trademark of Bayer for at least 120 years |
| 39% | SENATESEAT | 10 | Position for which a race is held every six years |
| 39% | UNDERWEAR | 9 | Red ___, item worn by Italians as a New Year's Eve tradition for good luck |
| 39% | PHIL | 4 | ___ Jackson, former coach for the Chicago Bulls who holds 11 NBA titles as a coach |
| 38% | SUPERBOWLRING | 13 | 15a won one a year before retiring as a player for San Francisco 49ers: 3 wds. |
| 38% | YOURBREATH | 10 | Riddle-de-dee: What's light as a feather but can't be held for long? |
| 38% | BLAME | 5 | Hold responsible for a mistake |
| 38% | SITON | 5 | Hold back for a time |
| 38% | BLAMES | 6 | Holds responsible for a mistake |