Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Gridiron Tree (“Gridiron Tree,” “we,” “us,” “our”) collects, uses, and discloses information in connection with your use of gridirontree.com (the “Site”) and our occasional product-update emails (the “Updates”).

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Email address — when you subscribe to the Updates, sign in to Pick Six, submit a tip through the Site, or email us directly (for example, to send a correction).
• Pick Six account — Pick Six can be played anonymously. If you choose to join the leaderboard, you sign in with a one-time link sent to your email address, and we store that address together with the username you pick. Signing in does not subscribe you to the Updates; your address is added to that list only if you tick the opt-in box yourself.
• Pick Six gameplay — your daily attempts, each guess you make, and the results are recorded on our servers, linked either to your account or, if you play anonymously, to a randomly generated identifier stored in a first-party cookie. This is what makes streaks and the leaderboard possible, and it is what prevents the answer from being obtainable by the browser before the game ends.
• Tips and corrections — any text you submit through our tip form or send us by email. This may include names, schools, and factual claims about coaching history.

Information collected automatically:

• Server logs — standard web server logs including IP address, browser type, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamp. Logs are processed by our hosting infrastructure (Vercel) and CDN (Cloudflare).
• Aggregate usage analytics — we use Google Analytics 4 to understand how the Site is used (pages visited, referrers, approximate location, device type). Google Analytics may set its own cookies and process this data on its infrastructure; see Google’s privacy policy for details. We have configured Google Analytics with IP anonymization where available and do not use it for advertising or remarketing.
• Functional cookies — we set a small number of first-party cookies strictly necessary for Site functionality, including px_anon, which holds a random identifier so anonymous Pick Six players keep one game per day and a continuous streak. We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or cross-site tracking technologies.

We do not collect: payment information, social media credentials, precise geolocation, health data, or any sensitive personal information.

2. How We Use Information

We do not use your information to build advertising profiles, target you with ads, or infer sensitive characteristics about you.

3. Email Updates

You join the Updates in one of two ways, both of which require a deliberate act by you: entering your address in a subscribe form, or ticking the opt-in box when you claim a Pick Six username. Signing in to Pick Six on its own never adds you to the list.

The Updates are delivered via Resend (see Section 4 below). When you subscribe, your email address is transmitted to Resend and stored in their system. We send Updates only occasionally — when we release new features, games, or data. You may unsubscribe at any time using the one-click unsubscribe link in any email. Upon unsubscription, Resend will cease sending Updates to your address.

We do not send promotional emails unrelated to the Site or the Updates. We do not share your email address with advertisers, sponsors, or third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party processors in connection with operating the Site. Each has its own privacy practices.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with any other third parties — including advertisers, sportsbooks, athletic departments, agents, or data brokers — for commercial purposes.

5. Cookies, localStorage, and Analytics

We use first-party cookies strictly necessary for Site functionality: gt_auth for the access-code gate when the Site is gated, and px_anon, which holds a random identifier so anonymous Pick Six players get one game per day and keep a streak. We also use Google Analytics 4, which sets its own cookies (_ga, _ga_*) to measure aggregate site usage; we do not use Google Analytics for advertising or remarketing. We do not use any other third-party tracking pixels, social-media trackers, or retargeting technologies.

Pick Six progress is not kept in your browser. Your attempts and guesses are recorded on our servers, because the game has to be able to judge a guess without ever sending the answer to your browser first. Clearing cookies will start a new anonymous identity, but it does not erase gameplay already recorded; to remove that, delete your account or contact us using Section 8 below.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings or opt out of Google Analytics globally with Google’s opt-out browser add-on; doing so may affect certain Site features but will not prevent you from reading content.

6. Data Retention

• Updates subscribers: Email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Pick Six accounts: Your email address, username, and game history are retained for as long as the account exists — we do not expire them on a schedule, because a streak is only meaningful if its history is kept. You can delete the account yourself at any time from the account panel on the Pick Six page. Doing so permanently removes your email address, username, and every attempt and guess associated with it, and also removes your address from the Updates list if you had opted in.
• Anonymous Pick Six play: Attempts recorded against an anonymous cookie identifier are not linked to any email address or other identifying information, and are retained as part of the game’s aggregate history.
• Server logs: Retained for up to 90 days for security and diagnostic purposes, then deleted or anonymized.
• Submitted tips and emailed corrections: Retained as long as reasonably necessary for editorial purposes. If you request deletion, we will remove your submission from our records within 30 days.

7. Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed to individuals under 13 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided their email address through the Site, please contact us at ryan@gridirontree.com and we will delete it promptly.

8. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

All users:

• Unsubscribe from the Updates at any time (one-click in any email).
• Delete your Pick Six account yourself, at any time, from the account panel on the Pick Six page. This removes your email address, username, and complete game history immediately — you do not need to ask us.
• Request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you.
• Request correction or deletion of your information by emailing ryan@gridirontree.com. We will respond within 30 days.

California residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information.

EU, UK, and Swiss residents (GDPR): You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing of, and port your personal information. You also have the right to object to processing and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Legal bases for processing: consent (Updates subscription), performance of a contract (running your Pick Six account at your request), legitimate interests (security, analytics), and legal obligation.

To exercise any of these rights, email ryan@gridirontree.com. We do not require you to create an account or pay a fee to exercise your rights. We may need to verify your identity before processing a request.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, including HTTPS encryption in transit and access controls on our database. No security measure is perfect; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Transfers

Gridiron Tree is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country. By using the Site or subscribing to the Updates, you consent to this transfer.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. For material changes, we will provide notice via email or a prominent notice on the Site. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance.