AJC Varsity Playoff Challenge is open! Submit your brackets for each class

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF GEORGIA WHO ARE EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. VOID OUTSIDE GEORGIA AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which are binding and final on matters relating to this Contest. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws.

1. WHO MAY ENTER

The AJC Varsity Playoff Challenge (“Contest”) is open only to legal residents of the State of Georgia who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees, officers, and directors of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, LLC (“Sponsor”), its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and members of their immediate families (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and persons living in the same household of such individuals, whether related or not, are not eligible to enter or win. Void outside Georgia and where prohibited by law.

2. CONTEST PERIOD

The Contest begins at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on November 4, 2025 and ends at 12:00 p.m. ET on November 13, 2025 (“Contest Period”). All entries must be received by 12:00 p.m. ET on November 13, 2025 to be eligible.

During the Contest Period, visit www.AJC.com/playoffchallenge (“Contest Website”), log in to your free AJC.com account or create one if you do not already have an account, and follow the instructions to complete and submit your playoff predictions before the entry deadline. Limit one (1) bracket entry per classification per person. Entries received after the Contest Period will not be accepted. Any attempt to exceed the permitted number of entries, or to use multiple accounts or email addresses, may result in disqualification.

4. HOW TO WIN

Entrants will earn points based on the accuracy of their playoff picks for each round of the Georgia High School Football playoffs as follows:

• Rounds 1–2: 1 point per correct pick
• Rounds 3–4: 2 points per correct pick
• Championship Pick: 4 points per correct classification champion pick

At the conclusion of the playoffs, the entrant with the highest total score within each classification bracket will be declared the potential winner for that classification, subject to verification.Tie-Breakers:

• First Tie-Breaker: Highest total number of correct predictions (overall wins).
• Second Tie-Breaker: Earliest valid entry (based on timestamp of submission).

Decisions of the Sponsor regarding scoring and determination of winners are final and binding in all respects.

5. PRIZES

Eight (8) prizes will be awarded in total (one per classification bracket). Each winner will receive an AJC Varsity Gift Pack consisting of:

• One (1) $100 Visa® Gift Card;
• One (1) AJC Varsity sweatshirt; and
• One (1) AJC Varsity hat.

Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $215 each, including estimated shipping.

Total ARV of all prizes: $1,720.

All prizes are awarded “as is” without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gift cards are subject to the terms, conditions, and expiration dates printed on the cards or set by the card issuer.

Prizes are non-transferable, non-assignable, and may not be substituted or redeemed for cash, except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if any item becomes unavailable. Sponsor will pay all shipping costs for delivery of prizes to winners.

6. NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS AND VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY

Potential winners will be notified by email within approximately seventy-two (72) hours after the final playoff results are confirmed. Each potential winner must respond within seventy-two (72) hours of notification.Each potential winner may also be required to sign and return an Affidavit or Declaration of Eligibility, Liability Release, and, where lawful, a Publicity Release within seven (7) days of notification. Failure to respond or complete required documentation within the specified time may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner in accordance with the tie-breaker order.Sponsor will make reasonable efforts to ship prizes within four (4) weeks after verification.

7. LEADERBOARD AND WINNERS LIST

During the Contest Period, and for approximately sixty (60) days thereafter, a leaderboard may be displayed on the Contest Website showing each entrant’s first name, last initial, and city. After that time, the leaderboard will be removed.A winners list identifying the confirmed winners will be available for at least sixty (60) days following verification and may be obtained by emailing [Insert Contact Email] with “AJC Varsity Playoff Challenge Winners List” in the subject line.

8. SPONSOR’S RIGHTS

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, suspend, or modify the Contest if fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond its reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor. Sponsor also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process or violates these Official Rules.

9. GENERAL CONDITIONS

By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, misdirected, or undeliverable entries or emails, or for any technical, hardware, or software failures of any kind. Participation constitutes entrant’s consent for Sponsor and its designees to use the entrant’s name, city, likeness, and submitted entry for promotional purposes in any media without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.

10. PUBLICITY

Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to Sponsor’s and its agents’ use of entrant’s name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, and/or hometown for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.

11. PRIVACY

Information collected from entrants is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy available at https://www.ajc.com/about-us/privacy-policy/FQ6VCF4CL277WIUMI6B35VCQHU/. By entering, entrants acknowledge that their personal information may be used by Sponsor to administer the Contest and for marketing purposes consistent with the Privacy Policy. Entrants may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by following the instructions included in those communications.

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By entering, entrants agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives, and agents (“Released Parties”) from any and all liability, claims, or damages arising from participation in the Contest or acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize. Released Parties are not responsible for: (i) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; (ii) technical failures of any kind; or (iii) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process.

Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, illegible, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, postage-due, or garbled entries or mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing of entries, the announcement of the prizes, or the incorrect uploading of any Contest-related materials. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any person’s computer related to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Contest or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Should any portion of the Contest be, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest.

13. TAMPERING

ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. If the Contest is not capable of running as planned for any reason, including without limitation, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who is responsible or who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, modify, or terminate the Contest.

14. SOCIAL MEDIA DISCLAIMER

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter). Entrants understand that they are providing their information to Sponsor and not to Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter). Any questions, comments, or complaints regarding this Contest should be directed to Sponsor and not to Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).

15. THIRD PARTY TRADEMARKS

Any third-party trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective trademark owners and the use or mention of any such third-party trademarks in these Official Rules or in the Contest is solely for descriptive purposes and shall in no way imply endorsement or sponsorship of this Contest or of Sponsor.

Use of school names is for identification purposes only. Schools and teams are not affiliated with or sponsors of this Contest.

16. ARBITRATION

As permitted by law, and except where prohibited, as a condition of participating in this Contest, participant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and held at the AAA regional office nearest the participant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and participant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with participating in this Contest), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

17. CHOICE OF LAW

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of participant and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Georgia, USA.

18. SPONSOR

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, LLC d/b/a AJC Varsity6205 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30328Any questions, comments, or complaints regarding this Contest must be directed to the Sponsor at the following address: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, LLC Attention: AJC Legal Counsel1200 Peachtree Street Northeast, Suite 100,Atlanta, GA 30309With a copy to: Cox Enterprises, Inc. Attn: Legal Department6205 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30328.All notices required or permitted under these Official Rules shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given when delivered personally, sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, to the Sponsor at the address provided above. Any questions, comments, or complaints regarding this Contest must be directed to the Sponsor only, and NOT to Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).