Contest Rules – Athlete of the Week: Fall 2020 – Spring 2021

WCIA 3 Varsity Athlete of the Week 2020-2021

Official Rules

1. Sponsors. This Contest (“Contest”) is sponsored by WCIA 3 (“Station”), 509 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL and Loman-Ray Insurance, 108 S. Lincoln, Broadlands, IL (collectively, the “Sponsor(s)”).This Contest is void where taxed, restricted, or prohibited and is subject to all local, state, and federal laws.  By entering, each entrant accepts and agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor(s), which shall be final and not subject to appeal.

2. Eligibility. No purchase necessary to enter. The Contest is open to permanent legal U.S. residents who reside within WCIA’s viewing area, who are at least 15 years old, attend a local high school within the WCIA viewing area, and are qualified as a high school student in good standing and participating in a school sponsored varsity sport at the time of entry.  Entrants less than 18 years of age at the time of entry must have parental/legal guardian consent.  Initial “entries” or student athlete nominations will be open to the public for any of the local high schools (within the WCIA viewing area).   Current or former employees of WCIA, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, the other Sponsors, the other television and radio stations and multichannel video programming distributors in WCIA’s viewing area, their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising or promotional agencies (including anyone who prepares and/or distributes contest materials), and the immediate family members or persons living in the same household (whether related or not) of all the foregoing are not eligible to participate or win.  The term “immediate family members” includes spouses, grandparents, parents, siblings, children and grandchildren. 

Participants are eligible to win a WCIA contest or sweepstakes only once every 90 days. Only one (1) winner per household is permitted in any contest or sweepstakes. Participants are eligible to win a prize valued at $600.00 or more only once every (6) six months. Text, data, or messaging rates may apply.

3. Entry.  This Contest will accept entries (“Nominations”) for four rounds. Fall round beginning on September 10, 2020 at 6:00 pm CT and ending on October 29, 2020 at 11:59 pm CT; Winter round beginning on December 10, 2020 at 6:00 pm CT and ending on February 10, 2021 at 11:59 pm CT; Spring round beginning on March 11, 2021 at 6:00 pm CT and ending on May 6, 2021 at 11:59 pm CT; and Summer round beginning on May 20, 2021 at 6:00 pm CT and ending on July 1, 2021 at 11:59 pm CT (the “Entry Period”).

To enter the Contest, entrants (“Nominators”) must visit www.wcia.com and fill out an entry form. Entries must include the following information:

  • Entrant/Nominator’s name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address.
  • Student athlete’s name (“Nominee”), date of birth, address, telephone number, e-mail, name of high school, school sponsored VARSITY sport, and brief description of the Nominee’s athletic accomplishments and extracurricular academic or community service activities and Name of Nominee’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s), home address, telephone number, e-mail – if Nominee is under 18 years of age at the time of entry.  

Entries must be submitted on www.wcia.com.  Incomplete or non-conforming entries will not be considered.  All entries must be received by July 1, 2021 at 11:59 pm CT.

A panel of three judges, comprised of Station employees, will review all eligible entries/Nominations submitted throughout the Entry Period. Every Thursday during the Entry Period, the judges will determine a weekly winner based on the criteria below and the Station will notify the selected Nominee, and the Nominee’s parent or legal guardian – for consent – if Nominee is not 18 years or older, by e-mail and phone.  The Station will also announce that weekly winner – the Athlete of the Week during the 10 o’clock News program, which is broadcast weekdays 10:00 – 10:35 PM CT.  The Station may air a brief profile segment about that Athlete of the Week.  The names and profiles for each Athlete of the Week will also be posted on the Station’s website at www.wcia.com/contests.

  • Athletic Accomplishments (80%), which includes record/stats, leadership roles and associated recognition, and
  • Community Involvement (20%), which includes quantity, quality, duration and community impact.

 If there is a tie, the eligible entrant with the highest Community Involvement score will be determined as the Athlete of the Week winner.  All entries must be received by July 1, 2021 at 11:59 pm CT.

Athlete of the Week weekly winners or the grand prize winner may not be on academic or disciplinary suspension at the time of nomination or at the time of winner selection.  Weekly and grand prize winners on academic or disciplinary suspension will be disqualified.

On specific listed Thursdays during the 6 o’clock News program, which is broadcast weekdays 6:00 – 6:30 PM CT, September 17, 2020 – October 29, 2020,  December 17, 2020 – February 10, 2021, March 11, 2021 – May 6, 2021, and May 20, 2021 – July 1, 2021, the Sponsors will announce the Athlete of the Week and air a brief profile segment about that student.  The names and profiles for each Athlete of the Week will also be posted on the Station’s website at www.wcia.com/contests for public review.

Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for technical, computer, telephone service outages, delays, equipment malfunctions, busy signals, hang-ups, errors or data loss of any kind, lost or unavailable connections, or late, lost, failed, illegible, incomplete, garbled or deleted entries, transmissions, or voicemails or other network or technological difficulties that may prevent an individual from completing his/her telephone call or online entry, or for printing errors in any advertisement, entry form, or the rules.

Any automated or computer-generated entries, fake or duplicate identities, spam, or improper techniques (as determined by Sponsor(s)) will be disqualified. Any questions regarding the validity, completeness, or number of entries submitted by an individual or the identity of the authorized account holder of an e-mail address, phone number, or social media profile shall be determined by Sponsor(s) in its/their sole discretion. The Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right to disqualify any entrant who acts in a disruptive, harassing, vulgar, or unsportsmanlike manner, as determined by the Sponsor(s) in its/their sole discretion.

Entry materials that have been tampered with or altered are void. If the Sponsor(s) determine(s), in its/their sole discretion, that there is any suspected or actual tampering with the Contest (electronic or otherwise) or if technical difficulties (e.g. infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor(s)) compromise the security, fairness, integrity or administration of the Contest, the Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right to void the entries at issue and/or modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the Contest and conduct a random drawing to award the prize among all eligible entries received as of the termination date. If the Contest is terminated due to tampering or technical difficulties prior to its expiration date, notice will be posted online at www.wcia.com. Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right to disqualify any entrant that tampers with the operation of the Contest or website or violates the Official Rules of the Contest. Entries not conforming to announced entry specifications will not be acknowledged or returned.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND/OR CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE; THE SPONSORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO PROSECUTE OR SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

By entering this Contest online, participants agree to www.wcia.com’s Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy located at www.wcia.com/privacy-policy.  All entry information becomes the property of the Sponsor(s), and entrants grant the Station the right to distribute all of their entry information to the other Sponsor(s). By entering, entrants grant the Sponsor(s) the right to broadcast and distribute their name, image, likeness, voice, entry materials, and biographical information in any media whatsoever, including on the air on the Station and on www.wcia.com, for any purpose whatsoever, worldwide, in perpetuity, without any further authorization from or compensation to the entrant.

4. Odds of Winning. The odds of winning depend on the number and caliber of eligible entries received.

5. Prize(s). There will be thirty-four (34) weekly winners and two (2) grand prize scholarship winners, selected from amongst the weekly winners, in this Contest. As disclosed above on specific Thursdays during the four listed rounds, the judges will select, from all eligible entrant nominees submitted during the Entry Period, one Athlete of the Week.  The Athlete of the Week will receive a plaque commemorating their achievement, an opportunity to be profiled during the Thursday 6 o’clock News and an opportunity to win a $500.00 scholarship.  On July 8, 2021, at 6:30 PM, the Station will announce the grand prize winners, selected from amongst all eligible Athlete of the Week winners. The grand prize winner girls’ sports will receive a $500.00 scholarship check, provided by Loman-Ray Insurance, towards their college education. The grand prize winner boys’ sports will receive a $500.00 scholarship check, provided by Loman-Ray Insurance, towards their college education. The weekly winner plaque has an approximate retail value of $20.00.  The grand prize has an approximate retail value of the prize is $500.00 each.  Athlete of the Week winners may only win once. If no varsity sports are played during a round or week for any reason whatsoever in the WCIA viewing area, including but not limited to Force Majeure, pandemic, etc., no winner(s), weekly or otherwise,  will be awarded.

The Sponsor(s) reserve the right to select the panel of judges and the criteria for judging the essays in its/their sole discretion. All results are unofficial until winner(s) is/are verified by the Sponsor(s). Prizes may not be exchanged, substituted, transferred or redeemed for other prizes by winner. Cash will not be awarded as a substitute for prize.  Prizes are awarded ‘as is’ with no guarantees or warranties as to use, merchantability, or fitness for a specific purpose, and the Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for defective prizes. Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right to substitute a prize in their sole discretion without an on-air or off-air announcement, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. Other terms and conditions may apply.

6. Conditions for Acceptance of the Prize(s). The winners must claim the prize(s) in-person at the Station during regular business hours (M-F from 8:30 AM CST – 4:30 PM CT)). Prize(s) will not be mailed under any circumstances. The prizes must be claimed by July15, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. CT` or it/they will be forfeited. Winner(s) will be required to provide a valid government issued photo identification card and to execute an affidavit of eligibility and publicity and liability release prior to receiving their prize(s). The Station may require the winner’s guests, invitees, or travel companions to sign liability releases prior to receiving the prize. All unclaimed or rejected prizes will be forfeited. Failure by the winner(s) to respond to the Station’s messages, calls, e-mails or other notification will lead to forfeiture of the prize(s). Failure to completely fill out and sign all waivers, releases, or forms requested by the Station will result in forfeiture of the prize(s). The Station then has the right, at its discretion, to award that prize to another winner using the method described above. A winner who forfeits any prize is not eligible to win another contest conducted by the Station for thirty (30) days.  If this contest is open to entrants under the age of 18, a winner is under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian will be required to claim the prize(s) and execute all releases on behalf of the minor. If a prize winner is a minor, that winner’s travel companion must be his/her parent or legal guardian.

Payment of all federal, state and local taxes is the sole responsibility of the winner(s) and the winner(s) may receive an IRS Form 1099 or equivalent from the Sponsor(s). The Sponsor(s) will report any individual winnings over $600 (in cash or fair market value of goods or services) in a one year period to the Internal Revenue Service.  Winner(s) is/are required to fill out any tax forms requested by the Sponsor(s) in order to receive their prize(s).

Winner will be solely responsible for any and all license and registration fees, accommodations, transportation costs, gratuities and all other items of an incidental nature. All expenses on receipt and use of prize(s) are the sole responsibility of the winner(s), the Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for any weather changes or extenuating circumstances relating to a prize received. The Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for replacing or reimbursing winners with any form of compensation for events that are delayed or canceled.  All delays and cancellations are deemed beyond the control of the Sponsor(s). This includes, but is not limited to, event cancellations, trip schedule changes, flight cancellations, and changes in travel arrangements, travel delays of any form and duration, game cancellations and delays, as well as all acts of nature. The Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for any expenses incurred by Contest winners as a result of such delays or cancellations. Sponsor(s) will not be responsible for failure to supply the prize(s) by reason of any force majeure events, such as acts of God, war, terrorist attacks, unusually severe weather, labor strikes, or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor(s).

By accepting the prize, the winner or winners (or, in the case of a minor, their parent/legal guardian) agree to have their name, voice, likeness, biographical information, and entry materials used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this Contest, and in any media whatsoever, including the Station and on www.illinoishomepage.et, for any purpose whatsoever, worldwide, in perpetuity, without any further authorization or compensation to the entrant.

7. Limitation on Liability. Sponsor(s) disclaim(s) all liabilities to the winner(s) with respect to receipt and use of the prize(s). Winners and their guests or travel companions, by acceptance of their prize(s), agree to release and hold the Sponsor(s) and its/their affiliated companies, their  advertising, promotion and production agencies, and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents and representatives harmless from any and all liability, claims, causes of actions, damages, fines, and costs of any kind whatsoever (including reasonable attorney’s fees) which may be sustained directly or indirectly to persons or property in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in, and/or traveling to any Contest- or prize-related activity.

8. Reservation of Rights. Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right to make changes to these Official Rules in their sole discretion which will become effective upon announcement. Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right to cancel or terminate this Contest for any reason in the event that it cannot be run or administered as intended by the Sponsor(s). Any such changes or termination will be announced on www.wcia.com.

9. Contact Information. For questions or more information about this Contest, please contact WCIA 509 S. Neil St. Champaign, IL 61820. For a copy of these rules, addendum, and/or list of winners please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to WCIA Athlete of the Week 2020-2021, 509 S. Neil St. Champaign, Illinois 61820, within sixty (60) days of the end of this Contest.