Last updated: July 28, 2026
Age Requirement: You must be at least 14 years old to create an account. Users under 18 cannot send or receive direct messages.
These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of the Varsity NC website and all related services (the "Service") operated by Acorn Media LLC ("Varsity NC," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you may not use the Service.
You must be at least 14 years old to create an account or use the Service. Users under 14 (13 or younger) are not permitted to create accounts or submit personal information, in an effort to protect minors in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). By creating an account, you represent that you are at least 14 years of age.
Age Verification: At the time of registration, you are required to provide your date of birth to verify that you meet the minimum age requirement. This date of birth is stored on your account profile. Providing a false date of birth to circumvent age restrictions is a violation of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination. If we become aware that a user is under 14, we will delete the account and all associated personal information.
Direct Messaging Restriction: Users under 18 years of age are prohibited from sending or receiving direct messages on the Service. This restriction is enforced automatically based on the date of birth on your account and is in place to protect minors from unwanted or inappropriate contact. All other features of the Service remain available to users under 18, subject to these Terms. If you are under 18, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf.
You may register for an account using Google Sign-In. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to provide accurate and complete information and to update it as needed. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.
3.1 Subscription Plans & Pricing
Varsity NC offers free and paid premium subscriptions. Paid subscriptions are billed monthly or annually through our payment processor, Stripe. Certain content and features—including premium in-depth articles, full athlete and coach profiles, the state record book, state championship histories, recruiting and commitment news, full playoff bracket history, and an ad-free reading experience—are available only to paid subscribers. In limited cases, individual premium articles may be available for a one-time per-article purchase. All prices and feature offerings are subject to change with reasonable notice.
3.2 Billing & Auto-Renewal
By subscribing, you authorize Acorn Media LLC and Varsity NC to charge the selected subscription fee to your payment method on a recurring basis until you cancel. Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period (monthly or annually) unless you cancel prior to the renewal date. You may cancel at any time through your account settings or by contacting us; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period and you retain access to premium content until that date. You are responsible for ensuring your payment method remains valid; failed payments may result in suspension of premium access.
3.3 Discounts & Promotional Pricing
From time to time, we may offer discounted subscriptions through coupons, promo codes, email domain discounts, targeted offers, or other promotional pricing. Discounted rates apply only for the period specified at the time of purchase and do not guarantee ongoing pricing. Unless otherwise stated, discounted and promotional subscriptions are non-refundable. We reserve the right to revoke or expire promotional pricing at the end of the stated promotional period, after which standard pricing applies.
3.4 Refund Policy
All refunds are at the sole discretion of Acorn Media LLC and Varsity NC. We are not obligated to issue refunds for subscription fees, article purchases, or other payments made through the Service. Where a refund is approved, it may be partial, reflecting only the unused portion of the subscription period at our discretion. Refunds, if any, will be credited back to the original payment method within a reasonable timeframe. Approved refunds may take additional processing time depending on your payment processor or bank.
The following apply to refunds and should be reviewed carefully:
3.5 School Profit Sharing
As described in our School Profit Sharing Policy, a portion of each full-price subscription payment ($1 per qualifying monthly payment and $5 per qualifying annual payment) is contributed to the subscriber's selected Base School. Contributions are calculated only on full-price payments that have been completed and not refunded. If a refund—partial or full—is issued on any payment, that payment's contribution to the Base School is voided. Discounted or promotional subscriptions do not generate a contribution. Profit sharing contributions are not refundable or transferable to you; they are disbursed to schools at our discretion on a periodic basis.
The Service allows you to post and share content, including comments on articles, message board posts and replies, direct messages, live story chat messages, poll votes and poll creation, reactions, bookmarks, pick'em contest picks and group participation, mascot match game responses, profile information and display names, user-submitted score and schedule reports, and other contributions ("User Content"). You retain ownership of your User Content, but you grant Varsity NC a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, transferable license to use, reproduce, display, and distribute your User Content in connection with the Service.
You represent that you have all necessary rights to your User Content and that it does not violate any law or third-party rights. You are solely responsible for your User Content. You may not post another person's private information, including names, photos, or identifying details of athletes, coaches, or students, without appropriate consent. Content submitted through score and schedule report forms is subject to the same moderation and accuracy standards described in Section 6.
You agree not to:
We employ a multi-layered content moderation system to maintain a safe and respectful community. This includes both automated filtering and human review.
6.1 Banned Words Filter
All user-generated content—including article comments, message board posts and replies, direct messages, and live story chat messages—is automatically scanned against a maintained list of banned words and phrases before it is published. The banned words list covers categories including profanity, harassment, hate speech, spam, violence, and other prohibited content. Content containing banned words is blocked from publication and the user is notified. The banned words list is updated regularly and is at our sole discretion.
6.2 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Filter
To protect user privacy and safety, our system automatically detects and blocks the sharing of personally identifiable information in all user-generated content. This includes phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and other sensitive personal data. The PII filter operates automatically on all content submissions. Attempts to circumvent the PII filter by obfuscating contact information (e.g., spelling out numbers, using symbols or spaces) may result in content removal and account action.
6.3 Reporting & Human Review
Users can report any content that they believe violates these Terms by using the report function on posts, comments, and messages. Reported content is reviewed by our moderation team. We reserve the right to review, edit, remove, or hide any User Content that we believe violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable, whether or not it has been reported. Users may also raise concerns or disputes about moderation decisions, account bans, or other platform behavior through our support board, which is monitored by our team.
6.4 Account Bans & Suspension
We may restrict or revoke a user's ability to post comments, participate in message boards, or send direct messages. Bans may be temporary or permanent and may apply to specific features (comments only, message boards only) or to all community features. Users who receive a ban will be notified of the reason and duration (if temporary). We may also suspend or terminate accounts entirely for repeated or severe violations.
6.5 Sole Discretion
Varsity NC reserves the sole right to determine what does and does not violate these Terms or our community guidelines, and all moderation decisions—including the removal of content, the filtering of banned words or PII, the suspension or revocation of posting privileges, and the suspension or termination of accounts—are at our sole discretion. We are not obligated to monitor all User Content but may do so at our discretion.
We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Service infringes your copyright, you may submit a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to our designated copyright agent. Include the infringing material's location, your contact information, and a good-faith statement that the use is unauthorized. We will respond to valid notices promptly.
The Service may include content from third parties, including RSS feeds from media partners, embedded videos, and links to external sites. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party content. Your interactions with third-party sites are solely between you and the third party.
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. All data—including scores, schedules, standings, and statistics—is provided for informational purposes and may contain errors or omissions.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Acorn Media LLC and its affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Acorn Media LLC and its affiliates from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your User Content or your violation of these Terms.
You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time, with or without cause, and without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be posted on the Service with an updated "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts located in North Carolina.
Questions about these Terms may be sent to legal@varsitync.com. For refund or billing inquiries, contact support@varsitync.com.