The Detroit News – Wojo’s Picks Contest 2020

OFFICIAL RULES

1.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING.  ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

2. Eligibility.  Subject to the additional restrictions below, the Wojo’s Picks Contest (the “Contest”) is open to legal U.S. residents who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry (each, the “Entrant”, and, collectively, the “Entrants”). Employees, contractors or interns of The Detroit News (“Sponsor”), Digital First Media, Media News Group, Gannett Co., Inc., UPICKEM, SecondStreet, Michigan.com, The Detroit Free Press, and each of their respective affiliated companies, divisions, subsidiaries and advertising and promotional agencies (including  immediate family members) are not eligible to enter or to win. For purposes of this Contest, “immediate family members” is defined as spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren, whether as "in-laws", or by current or past marriage, remarriage, adoption, co-habitation or other familial extension, and any other persons residing at the same household location, whether or not related.  Residents of a European Union member state or U.S. residents located in a European Union member state are not eligible to enter or to win.  

3. How To Enter.  The Contest will begin at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (“E.T”). on October 24, 2020 and end at 11:59 a.m. E.T. the day before the first included college football game of the week of Dec. 6-12, 2020 (the “Contest Period”). There will be eight (8) weekly entry periods, each of which will start at 12:01 a.m. E.T. every Monday and end at 11:59 a.m. E.T. the day before the first college football game each week during the Contest Period (the “Weekly Entry Period”). The Entrant can enter online by visiting the Wojo’s Picks official registration page on the Detroit News website (www.DetroitNews.com/WojosPicks2020), completing all of the required information to create an account, and following all posted instructions. Entrants should select a winner for all of the designated college football matchups for each week based on the point spread. If you do not select a winner for a game, a computerized selection will be made based on the teams that are picked most frequently. You will not be eligible to win a weekly prize unless you make your own picks. You will not be eligible to win the Grand Prize, as defined below,  unless you make your own picks for at least seven (7) weeks of the Contest Period. Maximum one (1) entry per Entrant , per week. 

Multiple Entrants are not permitted to share the same email address. Sponsor will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late or misdirected or illegible entries, or for failure to receive entries or other electronic communications due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. By entering, you agree to the terms of these Official Rules and to receive e-mails from Sponsor or those directed by Sponsor. You can opt-out of the receipt of such e-mails by following the directions in any email received from Sponsor. An Entrant’s choice to opt out will not affect eligibility in the Contest. All entries become property of Sponsor and none will be returned. Entrants  acknowledge and agree that Sponsor shall have the right to publish, promote or otherwise display or use entries in any way it sees fit without limitation or compensation to Entrants. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest.

4. Winner Selection.

Weekly Winners.  One(1) weekly winner will be selected on or about each Wednesday starting October 28, 2020  and ending December 16, 2020 from among all eligible entries received during the applicable Weekly Entry Period (each, the “Weekly Winner”, and, collectively, the “Weekly Winners”), for a total of eight (8) Weekly Winners during the Contest Period. The Weekly Winners will be selected based on the number of points they accumulate each week. Each Entrant and Bob Wojonowski (“Wojo”) will earn one (1) point for each correct pick they make. Each week, the one (1) Entrant who beats Wojo by the highest number of points will be declared the Weekly Winner. If no one beats Wojo in a given week, the Weekly Winner will be the one (1) Entrant with the highest number of points that week.

Grand Prize Winner.  On or about December 17, 2020, each Entrant’s seven (7) best weekly point totals will be added together, and the one (1) Entrant with the highest cumulative point total will be tdeclared the Grand Prize Winner.

In the event of tie, the following critera will be used as a tiebreaker: 

For Weekly Winners:
Entrants pick the college team they think is going to win each matchup along with the score for the tie-breaker game. The computer then takes all the Entrants who are tied for most points for the week and:
1. Subtracts what the Entrant chose as the score for the winning team from the actual winning team's score and squares this value.
2. Subtracts what the Entrant chose as the score for the losing team from the actual losing team's score and squares this value.
3. Add 1 and 2 above together to get the Entrant's "score approximation".
4. The Entrant with the lowest "score approximation" wins.
If there is still a tie the computer then chooses a random winner from among those Entrants who are tied.

For Grand Prize Winner: 
Each week Entrants pick the college team they think is going to win each matchup along with the score of the tie-breaker game. The computer then takes all the Entrants who are tied for most points for the season and looks at the final week's tie-breaker game and:
1. Subtracts what the Entrant chose as the score for the winning team from the actual winning team's score and squares this value.
2. Subtracts what the Entrant chose as the score for the losing team from the actual losing team's score and squares this value.
3. Add 1 and 2 above together to get the Entrant’s "score approximation".
4. The Entrant with the lowest "score approximation" wins.
If there is still a tie, the computer then looks back at the previous week's tie-breaker "score approximation". If there is still a tie the computer goes back each week until the tie is broken.

If there is still a tie after a review of all the weeks, the computer will choose a random winner from among the tied entrants.

5. Cancellations, postponements, etc. If a game is canceled, postponed or forfeited for any reason, or if a game ends in a tie, no points will be awarded for that game and winner(s) will still be determined as set forth in these Official Rules. If a tie breaker game is cancelled, postponed or forfeited and there is a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly. If an entire week of game play is cancelled or postponed, the weekly prize for that week will be determined in a random drawing of all eligible Entrants who submitted game picks for that week prior to the week’s cancellation in accordance with these Official Rules.

6. If the college football season is canceled completely, a Grand Prize Winner will be awarded only if at least five (5) weeks of Wojo’s Picks has been completed. In that case, the Grand Prize Winner will be chosen as described in these Official Rules, using the total number of weeks played rather than seven (7) weeks. If there are four (4) weeks or fewer of college football during the dates comprising the Contest Period, there will be no grand prize awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.

7. Prizes.  

Weekly Winners.  Eight (8) Weekly Winners will each receive a $50 Nike, UnderArmour or Dick’s Sporting Goods Gift Card, as decided by Sponsor, in its sole discretion.The total approximate retail value “ARV” of each git card is $50.00. 

Grand Prize Winner.  One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a $500 Visa gift card (ARV: $500.00).

The prizes have no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash at any time.  No compensation will be given for lost, stolen, mutilated or expired gift cards.  Sponsor is not responsible for replacing lost, stolen, mutilated or expired gift cards.  Fulfillment of gift cards is the sole responsibility of the merchant, not Sponsor, and is only redeemable at the specified locations.  The gift card must be surrendered upon redemption and no photocopies or reproductions will be honored. 

Odds of Winning

Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

8. Winner Notification and Acceptance.  Winners will be notified on or about the day they are selected as the winner at the telephone number or email address provided on the winner’s UPickEm account.  Sponsor will call or email during regular business hours at the telephone number or email address provided on the winner’s UPickEm account and will leave no messages.  Failure to reach winner by phone after three (3) attempts, failure of winner to respond to email notification within 48 hours, or return of email notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification of winner, forfeiture of his or her interest in all prizes, and selection of a substitute winner from among all remaining eligible entries. Valid government-issued photo identification may be required to claim prize. Winners may waive their right to receive prizes.  Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable.  No substitutions allowed by winner.  Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.  Winners are solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on prizes.  Winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility/liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law) which must be returned as directed by Sponsor.  Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release within ten (10) days, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may result in a winner’s disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to a substitute winner. Except where prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes winner’s consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media, including without limitation the internet, for any commercial or promotional purpose, without further compensation or consent.  Prizes not won and claimed by eligible winners in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsor. 

9. Participation.  By participating, Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor.  Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor.  In the event the Contest is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsor which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest.  Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date. The authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry will be considered the Entrant. An “authorized account holder” shall mean the natural person assigned to such email account by the Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with such email account. A potential winner may be requested to provide proof that he or she is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with a winning entry. In the event of a dispute, all online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which they were sent.  For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account.  Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted by the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. 

10. Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.  In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein. The Contest and all of the related pages, contents and code are copyrighted by UPICKEM.com, Inc. and/or Sponsor. Copying or unauthorized use of any copyrighted materials, trademarks or any other intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.

11.  This Contest is not intended for gambling. If it is determined that an Entrant is using the Contest for gambling purposes, he/she will be disqualified and reported to authorities.

12. Sponsor and its affiliates reserve the right to change the rules of the Contest at any time.

13. Sponsor. The Wojo’s Picks Contest is sponsored by The Detroit News. The decisions of Sponsor regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects.  Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest.  For a list of winners (available after December 31, 2020) or a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “Winners List/Official Rules” (as applicable), Wojo’s Picks: The Detroit News, 160 W. Fort St, Detroit, MI 48226. If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please contact Steve Byrne at spbyrne@freepress.com.