All-Star Teacher Contest Rules

NBC Sports Bay Area and California All-Star Teacher Contest

Official Rules

January 8, 2024 – February 5, 2024

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION:  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Void outside the NBC Sports Bay Area and California Eligibility Area (defined below) and where prohibited. The NBC Sports Bay Area and California All-Star Teacher Contest (“Contest”) will begin on January 8, 2024 at 12:00 A.M. PT and end on February 5, 2024 at 11:59 P.M. PT (“Contest Period”). All times in the Contest refer to Pacific Time (“PT”). Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. PRIZE (AS DEFINED BELOW) DOES NOT INCLUDE ACCOMMODATIONS, PARKING OR TRANSPORTATION.

ELIGIBILITY: Open only to permanent, legal United States residents who are physically residing in the NBC Sports Bay Area and California eligibility area within seventy-five (75) miles of either San Francisco or Sacramento in the state of California (collectively, “NBC Sports Bay Area and California Eligibility Area”), and who are eighteen (18) years of age or older  as of the start of the Contest Period. Officers, directors, and employees of Contest Entities (as defined below), members of these persons’ immediate families (spouses and/or parents, children, and siblings, and each of their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside), and/or persons living in the same households as these persons (whether or not related thereto) are not eligible to enter or win the Contest. Contest Entities, as referenced herein, shall include Comcast SportsNet California, LLC d/b/a NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, 360 Third Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94107, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 (collectively, “Sponsors”), and each of their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliate companies, and their administrative, advertising, and promotion agencies, and any other entity involved in the development, administration, promotion, or implementation of the Contest. Teacher (defined below) must meet all eligibility requirements stated above and outlined throughout the Official Rules. Entrants are not eligible to receive First Prizes (defined below) or the Grand Prize (defined below). First Prizes and Grand Prize will only be awarded to the Teacher (defined below) who is nominated in the Entry (defined below) selected by relevant Judges (defined below).

TO ENTER: As part of the Entry (defined below), you will be required to submit a nomination form, which includes your nomination of a teacher who is currently teaching kindergarten or grade one (1) through twelve (12) levels located in the NBC Sports Geographic Viewing Area (“Teacher”), and one hundred fifty (150) words or less on each of the following four (4) topics (“Topics”): (i) a description of the Teacher’s commitment to their school, students, parents, and community (ii) teaching style, (iii) rapport with students, and (iv) distinguishing characteristics (“Nomination Form”). All Nomination Forms must be filled out in English and must provide responses to all four (4) of the Topics, with each Topic’s response being one hundred fifty (150) words or less. You must submit the Nomination Form as part of your Entry to enter and be eligible for the Contest. Your Nomination Form must be original (that is, written by you), true, and verifiable. You must have the permission of any person that you identify or otherwise refer to in your Nomination Form.

To enter the Contest, during the Contest Period, visit www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/ast (the “Website”) and follow the provided instructions to complete and thereafter submit the entry form, which includes your full name, email address, telephone number, ZIP code, cable provider (optional), school name, school phone number, school email address (optional), Teacher name, Teacher email address (optional), and Nomination Form (the “Entry”). School phone number and school email address are collectively defined as “School Contact Information” and Teacher email address is defined as “Teacher Contact Information”. If you choose to submit your Entry via your web-enabled mobile device, data rates may apply.  See your wireless service provider for details on rates and capabilities.All Entries become the property of Sponsors and will not be acknowledged. 

You must submit the Nomination Form as part of your Entry to enter the Contest.By entering the Contest, entrants grant Sponsors the non-exclusive, royalty-free, and irrevocable rights to use, reproduce, copy, publish, display, distribute, perform, translate, adapt, modify, and otherwise exploit the Nomination Forms and to incorporate the Nomination Forms in other works in any and all markets and media worldwide in perpetuity. Entrants warrant that they have the sole and exclusive right to grant such rights to Sponsors and that Sponsors' reproduction, publishing, displaying, and/or other use of the Nomination Forms will not infringe on any rights of third parties, including, without limitation, copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity, or create claims for defamation, false light, idea misappropriation, intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress, or breach of contract. If any Nomination Form contains material that is violent, pornographic, obscene, illegal, inappropriate, or racially or morally offensive or if any Nomination Forms do not comply with these Official Rules or meet Sponsors' standards for any reason, as determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion, such Nomination Forms (and the related Entries) may be rejected as ineligible for consideration and/or deleted from the Website. Entries must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Sponsors shall have no obligation to copy, publish, display, or otherwise exploit the Nomination Forms. 

Limit one (1) Entry per person during the Contest Period. Multiple Entries received from any person beyond this limit will void all such additional Entries. Entries generated by a script, macro, or other automated means or by any means that subverts the entry process will be disqualified. Entries must be received before February 5, 2024 at 11:59 P.M. PT be eligible for the Contest. Sponsors' computer shall be the official timekeeper for all matters related to this Contest.Entries that are incomplete, garbled, corrupted, fraudulent, or unintelligible for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer or network malfunction or congestion, are void and will not be accepted. In case of a dispute over the identity of an entrant, the authorized account holder of the email address used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. “Authorized account holder” of an email address is defined as the person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the email address submitted at the time of Entry.  Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use entrant’s name, city, state, likeness, image, and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion, and publicity in any and all media now or hereafter known, throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification, permission, or approval.

PRIVACY:  Entrants will have the opportunity to receive information from Sponsors by checking the appropriate box(es). If, at any time, you no longer wish to receive materials from Sponsors, please use the unsubscribe link in the footer of the relevant email. You can learn more about how we use your personal information by visiting our privacy policy, located at https://www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy.

JUDGING, SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF FINALISTS AND GRAND PRIZE WINNER: There will be two (2) rounds of judging: Round 1: Initial Judging to Determine the Finalists (defined below); and Round 2: Public Voting to Determine the Winner (defined below).

Round 1: Initial Judging to Determine the Finalists: On or about February 21, 2024, one (1) or more qualified judges selected by Sponsors (“Judges”) will review all eligible Entries received during the Contest Period and select up to five (5) potential finalists, (collectively, "Finalists", each a “Finalist”) based on the following judging criteria (“Judging Criteria”): overall commitment (25%), excellence in teaching (25%), rapport with students (25%) and level of distinction (25%). Each Finalist will advance to Round 2: Public Voting to Determine the Winner (defined below), and be named a first prize winner (“First Prize Winner,” collectively, “First Prize Winners”), subject to verification of eligibility. The selection and review process may occur on a rolling basis as Entries are received. In the event of a tie, the Judges will break the tie by selecting the tied entrant who received the highest points from the Judges for overall commitment to advance to Round 2. In the event a tie remains, the tied entries will be judged by an additional tie-breaking judge, using the Judging Criteria, to determine which of the tied entrants will advance to Round 2.

Decisions of Sponsors and Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters related to the Contest. Sponsors reserve the right to pick fewer than five (5) Finalists (or none at all) or to extend the Contest Entry Period if the Contest does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries, as determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion. Sponsors will make two (2) attempts to notify potential Finalists at the School Contact Information and/or Teacher Contact Information submitted at the time of Entry.Potential Finalist(s)may be required as a condition of continued eligibility to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility, release of liability, acknowledgment by Teacher’s school that Teacher may accept Prizes (defined below), and, except where prohibited, publicity release (collectively, “Contest Documents”) within two (2) days of such notification. Noncompliance within this time period will result in disqualification, and at Sponsors' sole discretion an alternate potential Finalist may be selected from remaining eligible Entries based on the Judging Criteria. If any potential Finalist cannot be reached, is found to be ineligible, cannot or does not comply with these Official Rules, or does not satisfactorily execute and return all of the Contest Documents, such potential Finalist will be disqualified and time permitting, at Sponsors' sole discretion, an alternate potential Finalist may be selected from the remaining eligible Entries.

Round 2: Public Voting to Determine the Grand Prize Winner:  On or about April 1, 2024, the Finalists’ Entries will be posted on the Website in a randomized manner for public viewing and voting. On or about April 1, 2024 at 12:00 A.M. PT until May 31, 2024 at 11:59 P.M. PT (or on such other dates and times as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion (the “Voting Period”), each visitor to the Website who is eighteen (18) years of age or older  as of the start of the Contest Period may vote for his or her favorite Finalist according to Judging Criteria, voting rules, and procedures established by the Sponsors, which will be posted on the Website (https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/ast). The Finalist who receives the most votes during the Voting Period, as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion, will be the potential grand prize winner (“Grand Prize Winner”), subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. The Finalists who are not selected as the Grand Prize Winner will be the First Prize Winners. In the event of a tie, ties will be broken as described with regards to Finalists. The Voting Period, voting rules and procedures and voting methods are subject to change, in Sponsors' sole discretion, and any changes will be posted on the Website. Voting is currently limited to one (1) vote per person per day during the Voting Period, but Sponsors reserve the right to change the limit on the number of votes, in its sole discretion. Notification regarding any such change will be announced on the Website.

Decisions of Sponsors and Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters related to the Contest. Winning is subject to verification of eligibility. Sponsors reserve the right to select fewer than one (1) Grand Prize Winner (or none at all) or to extend the Contest Period if the Contest does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries, as determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion. Grand Prize Winner and First Prize Winners may be referred to herein as “Winner” or collectively, “Winners”. Sponsors will make two (2) attempts to notify potential Winners at the School Contact Information and/or Teacher Contact Information submitted at the time of Entry. Sponsors may share each potential Winner’s name and contact information with Sweepstakes Entities and/or any prize supplier, as applicable, if necessary. Potential Winner(s) may be required as a condition of continued eligibility to execute and return the Contest Documents within five (5) days of such notification. Noncompliance within this time period will result in disqualification. If the potential Grand Prize Winner or any First Prize Winner cannot be reached, is found to be ineligible, cannot or does not comply with these Official Rules, or if Prize (as defined below) or Prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or does not satisfactorily execute all of the Contest Documents, such potential Grand Prize Winner or First Prize Winner will be disqualified and time permitting, at Sponsors' sole discretion, the Grand Prize (defined below) will be awarded to the runner-up Finalist. Entrants are not eligible to receive Grand Prize (defined below) or First Prizes (defined below).

PRIZE: There will be one (1) grand prize awarded (“Grand Prize”) to the Grand Prize Winner and four (4) first prizes awarded (collectively, “First Prizes”, each a “First Prize”) to the First Prize Winners; one (1) First Prize will be awarded to each First Prize Winner.

Grand Prize consists of the following: four (4) tickets for Grand Prize Winner and up to three (3) guests (collectively, “Guests”, each a “Guest”) to a San Francisco Giants baseball game, on a date to be determined in Sponsors’ sole discretion, scheduled to take place at Oracle Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94107 (“Event”); and thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) awarded to the school where the Teacher is employed. Funds will be designated to educational programs, materials, or services as determined by school officials in their sole discretion.

Each First Prize will consist of the following: four (4) tickets for First Prize Winner and up to three (3) Guests to the Event.

Grand Prize and First Prizes may collectively be referred to herein as “Prize” or “Prizes”.

PRIZE DOES NOT INCLUDE ACCOMMODATIONS, PARKING, OR TRANSPORTATION.

If Winner chooses to attend the Event with fewer than three (3), or no, Guest, the remaining elements of Prize shall constitute full satisfaction of Sponsors' Prize obligation to Winner and no additional compensation will be awarded. Each Guest, if any, may be required to execute and return releases of liability and, where legal, publicity releases (collectively, “Guest Documents”), which must be returned with the Sweepstakes Documents, or Guest portion of the Prize will be forfeited. If any Guest is a minor, Winner or one of the other Guests must be such minor’s parent or legal guardian and must execute and return the Guest Documents on such minor’s behalf.    

Estimated Retail Value (“ERV”) of each Prize is as follows: ERV of Grand Prize is thirty thousand two hundred-fifty dollars ($30,250); and ERV of each First Prize is two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Total ERV of all Prizes is thirty-one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($31,250). Actual Retail Value (“ARV”) of Prize may vary. Any difference between ERV and ARV will not be awarded. Grand Prize Winner’s school will receive an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 from Sponsors for the total ARV of Grand Prize for the calendar year in which Grand Prize was awarded.

All details of Prize will be determined in Sponsors' sole discretion. Sponsors reserve the right to substitute Prize (or portion thereof) with a similar prize (or prize element) of comparable or greater value. All taxes and other expenses, costs, or fees associated with the acceptance and/or use of Prize are the sole responsibility of Winner and/or his/her school. Prize cannot be transferred by Winner or redeemed for cash and is valid only for the items detailed above, with no substitution of Prize by Winner. If Prize is unclaimed within a reasonable time after notification from Sponsors, as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion, it will be forfeited, and time permitting, an alternate Winner may be selected from the remaining eligible Entries at Sponsors' sole discretion. 

Each Winner must be able to attend Event, or Event portion of Prize will be forfeited. Sponsors shall have no responsibility or liability for cancellations, delays, or any other change by any company or person providing any element of Prize due to reasons beyond Sponsors' control and are not responsible or liable for any expenses incurred as a consequence thereof. Date and/or time of Event is subject to change. Event is subject to cancellation. Winner and/or Guests, if any must comply with all applicable venue rules and regulations in connection with Prize.

All parts of the Prize are subject to availability, and subject to change or cancellation without written notice or warning. Should an act of God, hurricane, war, fire, riot, earthquake, act of public enemies, actions of governmental authorities, epidemics, pandemics and the spread of infectious diseases, including without limitation COVID-19 (as defined by the World Health Organization and any of the strains, variants or mutations thereof), and any related governmental or judicial actions, including but not limited to travel restrictions, taken in connection with, or as a response to, any such event, or any other event beyond the reasonable control of a party, whether or not existing, known, foreseen or foreseeable at the time this Contest occurs, render the redemption or fulfillment of all or a portion of the Prize delayed, hindered, adversely affected, impracticable, or impossible, Sponsors in their sole and absolute discretion, reserve the right to evaluate, make modifications to, and restructure the redemption and fulfillment processes and timelines for the Prize, or portion thereof, that Sponsors are responsible for, which may include, but is not limited to, providing additional time for redemption and/or fulfillment. Sponsors may modify and/or restructure the Prize or portions thereof to comply with government orders or guidelines and Sponsors' health and safety requirements.  In addition, Winner and Guests should be aware of and comply with government guidelines regarding travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines before traveling. Should the Prize, or a portion thereof, become unavailable Sponsors shall make reasonable efforts to provide Winner with substitute experiences and/or items of a similar nature and value for that portion of the Prize that is unavailable. If no substitute prizing is reasonably available then the remaining components, if any, of the Prize shall constitute full satisfaction of Sponsors' Prize obligation to Winner, and no other or additional compensation will be awarded.

Prize fulfillment and related activities will take place on a date and time designated by Sponsors and only when and in a manner that it is safe to do so, as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion in consultation with appropriate health and safety experts. Winner and Guests, if any must follow all instructions given by representatives of Sponsors at all times.

In connection with any visit to any location in connection with the Prize, please be advised that Sponsors' policies, CDC guidelines, and the recommendations of health officials must be followed. Please note that any public location where people are present provides an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19, and Sponsors cannot guarantee that any person will not be exposed during a visit. 

If required, Winner and Guests, if any must cooperate with Sponsors' inquiries related to public health matters and follow Sponsors' related rules and processes, including, but not limited to, disclosures or processes recommended or required by public health authorities to protect the health and safety of Winner, Guests, and others. Winner and Guests may be subject to health screenings (which may include, but are not limited to, temperature checks, symptom screening, lab testing, and/or other medical exams) to be conducted by Sponsors or their designee(s) prior to or during the fulfillment of the Prize and related activities. Failure to fully comply with Sponsors' requests or requirements may result in forfeiture of the Prize or portions thereof, as determined in Sponsors' discretion.

During a period starting approximately four (4) weeks before participation in activities related to the Prize and ending approximately four (4) weeks after participation in the last of such activities (such period(s) subject to change based on medical guidance, and/or policy guidance), Winner and Guests may be required to inform Sponsors, upon Sponsors' request, about matters relating to communicable illnesses and safe fulfillment of the Prize and related activities, including, without limitation: (a) medical symptoms; (b) travel history; (c) recent contact with others who have displayed symptoms of or have otherwise been confirmed to have a communicable illness; and (d) active public health orders issued by a civil authority or any similar public health mandate (e.g., order to quarantine, order to stay at home, order to disclose communicable illness) to which Winner and/or Guests are subject.

CONDITIONS: By entering the Contest, each entrant agrees for entrant and for entrant’s heirs, executors, and administrators (a) to release and hold harmless Contest Entities and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, and employees (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from such entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of Prize or any portion thereof (including any travel related thereto); (b) to indemnify Released Parties from any and all liability resulting or arising from the Contest and to hereby acknowledge that Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to Prize, including express warranties provided exclusively by prize supplier that are sent along with Prize; (c) if selected as a Winner, to the posting of such entrant’s name on the Website and the use by Released Parties of such name, city, state, likeness, image, and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion, and publicity in any and all media now or hereafter known, throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification, permission, or approval, and, upon request, to the giving of consent, in writing, to such use; and (d) to be bound by these Official Rules and to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error therein or in the Contest itself, and to be bound by all decisions of the Sponsors, which are binding and final.Failure to comply with these conditions may result in disqualification from the Contest at Sponsors' sole discretion.

ADDITIONAL TERMS: Sponsors reserve the right to permanently disqualify from any promotion any person they believe has intentionally violated these Official Rules.  Any attempt to deliberately damage the Contest or the operation thereof is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsors, who may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. The failure of Sponsors to comply with any provision of these Official Rules due to an act of God, hurricane, war, fire, riot, earthquake, terrorism, act of public enemies, actions of governmental authorities outside of the control of Sponsors (excepting compliance with applicable codes and regulations), or other “force majeure” event will not be considered a breach of these Official Rules. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants’ or to any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from entering or downloading materials or software in connection with the Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for telecommunications, network, electronic, technical, or computer failures of any kind; for inaccurate transcription of Entry information; for errors in any promotional or marketing materials or in these Official Rules; for any human or electronic error; or for Entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed, lost, late, damaged, or returned. Sponsors reserve the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Contest or any element thereof (including, without limitation, these Official Rules) without notice in any manner and for any reason (including, without limitation, in the event of any unanticipated occurrence that is not fully addressed in these Official Rules). In the event of cancellation, modification, or suspension, Sponsors reserve the right to select Winners in a random drawing from among all eligible, non-suspect Entries received prior to the time of the event warranting such cancellation, modification, or suspension. Notice of such cancellation, modification, or suspension will be posted on the Website.  Sponsors may prohibit any Entrant or potential entrant from participating in the Contest, if such Entrant or potential entrant shows a disregard for these Official Rules; acts with an intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other Entrant, Sponsors, or Sponsors' agents or representatives; or behaves in any other disruptive manner (as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion). Sponsors reserve the right to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Contest.

DISPUTES:  THE CONTEST IS GOVERNED BY, AND WILL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND THE FORUM AND VENUE FOR ANY DISPUTE SHALL BE IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK. IF THE CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM IS NOT OTHERWISE RESOLVED THROUGH DIRECT DISCUSSIONS OR MEDIATION, IT SHALL THEN BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ADMINISTERED BY JUDICIAL ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION SERVICES, INC., IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS STREAMLINED ARBITRATION RULES AND PROCEDURES OR SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS THEREOF (“JAMS RULES”). THE JAMS RULES FOR SELECTION OF AN ARBITRATOR SHALL BE FOLLOWED, EXCEPT THAT THE ARBITRATOR SHALL BE EXPERIENCED AND LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN NEW YORK. ALL PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK. THE REMEDY FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE ENTITLED TO RECOVER PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ATTORNEY’S FEES OR OTHER SUCH RELATED COSTS OF BRINGING A CLAIM, OR TO RESCIND THIS AGREEMENT OR SEEK INJUNCTIVE OR ANY OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: For the names of the Winners, available after July 15, 2024, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to be received by September 9, 2024 to: NBC Sports Bay Area and California All-Star Teacher Contest, 360 3rd Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94107, Attn: Marketing.