Effective date: October 21, 2026.
Gridiron Gumbo (gridirongumbo.com and the Gumbo app at gridirongumbo.com/app/) is published by Black Pot Media LLC (“we,” “us”). This policy explains, in plain English, what information we collect, how we use it and the choices you have.
Information you give us
- Newsletter. If you sign up for our email newsletter, we store your email address and anything else you choose to give on the form (such as your favorite team). Signups from the app get a confirmation email first. Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link.
- Reporter accounts. If you create an account to report scores, we store your username, display name, email address and password (encrypted).
- Score reports. When you use Report a Score, we store the score and details you submit. Reports are reviewed before anything is published.
- Game Night Chat and comments. When you post in Friday Night Gumbo Game Night Chat or leave a comment, we store your message and the name you post under. Messages may be public.
- Polls and Beat the Gumbo. When you vote in a poll or enter our Beat the Gumbo pick’em, we store your vote or picks and the name you enter, and may show names and scores on a public leaderboard.
- Email. If you email us, we keep your message so we can reply.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our server and security tools log basic technical data such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you request. We use it to keep the site running, stop spam and abuse (for example, limiting repeat signups or chat posts from one address), and fix problems.
Cookies, local storage and analytics
- Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics to see which pages are read and how visitors find us. Google may set cookies and collect data such as your IP address, device and browser type, and pages visited. You can opt out with Google’s browser add-on.
- Independent Analytics. We also use a WordPress analytics plugin that counts page views on our own server.
- Site features. We use cookies and your browser’s local storage for logins, security, caching and remembering your choices, such as your favorite team, whether you prefer the high school or SEC home page, and dismissed messages.
- Fonts and avatars. Some pages load fonts from Google Fonts and profile images from Gravatar, which means those services receive your IP address.
You can block or delete cookies and local storage in your browser settings. Some features, such as staying logged in, may not work without them.
We do not run third-party advertising networks on the site at this time.
Location
- Home page. To decide whether to show our high school or SEC home page first, the site asks a third-party lookup service (GeoJS, or ipapi.co as a backup) for the general region linked to your IP address. Only the result (“in our area” or not) is saved, in your own browser, for 24 hours. We do not store your location on our servers.
- Gumbo app. The app can use your device location to open on local high school football if you are in Southwest Louisiana or Southeast Texas. It only asks after you tap “Use my location.” The check happens on your device; your location is never sent to us or saved. You can say no, and you can turn off location access in your device settings at any time.
Push notifications
If you turn on breaking news alerts, your browser gives us a push subscription (a technical address for sending alerts) along with the topics you pick. We store that subscription so we can send alerts. We do not ask for your name, email or location to send alerts. You can turn alerts off in the app or in your browser or device settings at any time, and we delete subscriptions that stop working.
How we use information
- To run the site, app, newsletter, chat, pick’em and score reports.
- To send emails and alerts you asked for.
- To review and moderate submissions and prevent spam and abuse.
- To understand what readers like and improve the site.
- To follow the law and protect our rights.
Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for targeted advertising. We share information only with service providers that help us run the site, such as our web host (SiteGround), Google Analytics, and the location lookup services described above, and when required by law or to protect safety. Public content you post, like chat messages, leaderboard names and published score reports, can be seen by anyone.
How long we keep it
We keep information only as long as we need it for the purposes above. You can unsubscribe, turn off alerts, or ask us to delete your account and data at any time.
Children
Gridiron Gumbo covers high school sports, but the site is written for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has given us information, email hello@gridirongumbo.com and we will delete it.
Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live (including California and other states with privacy laws), you may have the right to know what personal information we hold about you, to get a copy, to correct it, to delete it, and to opt out of any sale or sharing. We do not sell or share personal information as those laws define it. To make a request, email hello@gridirongumbo.com with the subject “Privacy Request.” We will verify your request and respond within the time the law requires. We will not treat you differently for using these rights.
Security
We use reasonable measures to protect information, but no website is completely secure.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. When we do, we will change the effective date at the top. Big changes will be noted on the site.
Contact us
Black Pot Media LLC
Attn: Tori Dixon
Email: hello@gridirongumbo.com