Terms and Conditions

Effective date: December 21, 2019

1. Acceptance of these Terms

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of academicathletes.com and any related pages, platforms and services (together, the “Services”) offered by Academic Athletes LLC (“Academic Athletes,” “we,” “us” or “our”). By visiting the site, creating an account, purchasing a service or registering for an event, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.


Some Services also have a separate written agreement, such as a client service agreement or event registration and waiver. If that agreement conflicts with these Terms, the separate agreement controls for that Service.


Section 20 contains an arbitration agreement and class-action waiver that affect your legal rights. Please read it carefully.

2. Who we are

Academic Athletes LLC is a California limited liability company located at 770 W Imperial Ave Unit 77, El Segundo, CA 90245. We help student athletes and their families navigate college athletic recruiting and admissions.

3. Eligibility, minors and parents

You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority where you live, to accept these Terms. Many of our clients are high school students. If the athlete is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must create the account, accept these Terms on the athlete’s behalf, and supervise the athlete’s use of the Services. We do not knowingly create accounts for or collect personal information from children under 13.


By accepting on behalf of a minor, the parent or guardian agrees to be responsible for the minor’s compliance with these Terms.

4. Our Services

Our Services may include:


  • Recruiting consulting: guidance on athletic and academic profiles, target school lists, communication with college coaches, highlight film, campus visits, timelines and admissions strategy.

  • Placement support: helping athletes identify and pursue roster opportunities that fit their athletic, academic and personal goals.

  • Subscription platform: online access to tools, content, resources and communication features, offered on a recurring basis (Section 8).

  • Ivy League Tour: an organized campus tour and related programming (Section 9).


We may add, change or discontinue any Service or feature at any time. Specific deliverables for a consulting client are set out in that client’s written service agreement or order confirmation.


We are not an athlete agent. We do not negotiate professional contracts, NIL agreements or scholarship amounts on your behalf, and we do not represent you to any professional team or league.

5. No guarantee of results

Academic Athletes does not and cannot guarantee any outcome. In particular, we do not guarantee that any athlete will:


  • be contacted, recruited, evaluated or offered a roster spot by any coach or program;

  • be admitted to any college, university or academic program, including any Ivy League institution;

  • receive any athletic scholarship, financial aid, merit award or NIL opportunity; or

  • achieve any particular test score, ranking or athletic result.


Admissions, roster and financial aid decisions are made solely by colleges, coaches and admissions offices, which are independent of us. Outcomes depend on many factors outside our control, including the athlete’s own performance, academic record, effort and the needs of each program. Past results, client stories and testimonials describe individual experiences and are not a prediction or promise of your results. Nothing a member of our team says, orally or in writing, changes this section unless it is in a written agreement signed by an owner of Academic Athletes.

6. Accounts

You agree to give accurate, current and complete information when you register and to keep it up to date. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for all activity under your account. Tell us promptly at smartin@academicathletes.com if you believe your account has been accessed without permission. Accounts are personal and may not be shared, sold or transferred.

7. Consultations and communications

Initial consultations are for information only and do not create a client relationship. A client relationship begins only when you accept a written service agreement or order confirmation and pay any applicable fees. By giving us your phone number or email, you agree that we may contact you about your inquiry and the Services. You can opt out of marketing messages at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions or replying STOP to a text message. Message and data rates may apply.

8. Subscription platform

Automatic renewal. Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period at the then-current rate shown at checkout, using the payment method on file, until you cancel. Before you subscribe, we will show you the subscription terms, the billing frequency and how to cancel, and we will send you a confirmation that includes this information.


Cancellation. You may cancel at any time from your account settings or by emailing smartin@academicathletes.com. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, and you keep access until then. We do not provide refunds or credits for partial billing periods.


Free trials and promotions. If we offer a trial or promotional period, we will tell you when it ends and what you will be charged afterward. Unless you cancel before the trial ends, your paid subscription will begin automatically.


Changes. We may change subscription features or rates. We will give you advance notice of any rate change, and the change will apply at your next renewal. If you do not agree, you may cancel before the change takes effect.

9. Ivy League Tour and other events

Participation in the Ivy League Tour or any other in-person event requires completing our registration form and signing the event’s participation agreement, release and waiver, which may include travel, supervision, conduct, medical and photo-release terms. Event itineraries, campus access, speakers and meetings with coaches or admissions staff are subject to change and to the policies of the host institutions. Visiting a campus or meeting a coach or admissions officer does not indicate or guarantee recruitment or admission (see Section 5). The Ivy League Tour is organized independently by Academic Athletes and is not sponsored, endorsed or operated by the Ivy League or any of its member institutions. Cancellation and refund terms for events are set out in the event registration terms.

10. Fees and payment

Fees for each Service are stated in your service agreement, order confirmation or at checkout. You authorize us and our payment processor to charge your selected payment method for all fees and applicable taxes when due. You are responsible for keeping payment information current. Late or failed payments may result in suspension of the Services.


Unless your written service agreement says otherwise, fees for consulting services are non-refundable once work has begun. Nothing in these Terms limits any refund right you have under applicable law.

11. Your responsibilities

You agree to:


  • give us complete and truthful information about the athlete’s academic record, athletic performance, health and eligibility;

  • review and approve any materials we prepare before they are sent to coaches or schools, and take responsibility for their accuracy;

  • meet deadlines set by schools, coaches, testing agencies and eligibility centers; and

  • make all final decisions about schools, offers and commitments yourself.

12. Athletic eligibility and compliance

You are solely responsible for maintaining the athlete’s eligibility under the rules of the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, the Ivy League, any conference, high school association or other governing body, including registration with any eligibility center. We share general information about these rules, but we are not affiliated with or endorsed by any governing body, and our information is not an official interpretation. Contact the relevant compliance office for any eligibility question.

13. Acceptable use

You agree not to:


  • use the Services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any governing-body rule;

  • submit false or misleading information about any athlete;

  • harass, threaten or impersonate any person, including coaches and other users;

  • copy, resell, share or redistribute our content, tools or materials outside your own household’s use;

  • scrape, crawl or use automated means to access the Services, or attempt to bypass any security measure; or

  • upload viruses or any code meant to harm the Services or other users.


We may suspend or terminate access for any violation of this section.

14. Intellectual property

The Services and all content on them, including text, graphics, logos, videos, templates, guides, software and the Academic Athletes name and marks, are owned by Academic Athletes or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Services for your own non-commercial purposes while you comply with these Terms. All other rights are reserved.

15. Content you provide

You keep ownership of the materials you give us, such as transcripts, highlight video, photos and personal statements (“Your Content”). You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, copy, edit and share Your Content as needed to provide the Services, including sending it to coaches and schools you approve. We will not use an athlete’s name, image or story in our marketing, including testimonials, without separate written permission from the athlete, or from a parent or guardian if the athlete is a minor. You confirm that you have the rights needed to share Your Content with us.

16. Third-party services and referral partners

The Services may link to or integrate third-party websites, platforms and service providers, such as recruiting databases, testing services, payment processors and financial or education partners. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party content, products or practices, and your use of them is governed by their own terms.


We may receive compensation from some partners when you are referred to them or use their products. Any recommendation we make is based on our view of what may fit your situation, and you are free to choose any provider.

17. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and share personal information, including information about minors, and describes your rights under California law. By using the Services, you acknowledge the Privacy Policy.

18. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

Disclaimer. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.


Information on the Services is general and educational and is not legal, financial, medical or official eligibility advice.


Limitation of liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ACADEMIC ATHLETES AND ITS OWNERS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF OPPORTUNITY, ADMISSION, SCHOLARSHIP, ROSTER SPOT, PROFITS OR DATA, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE OR $100.


Some jurisdictions do not allow certain warranty exclusions or liability limits, so some of the above may not apply to you.

19. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Academic Athletes and its owners, members, employees, contractors and agents from any claims, losses and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising from your breach of these Terms, Your Content, inaccurate information you provide, or your violation of any law or governing-body rule.

20. Dispute resolution and arbitration

Informal resolution first. Before filing any claim, you and we agree to try to resolve the dispute informally by sending written notice to the other party and negotiating in good faith for at least 30 days.


Binding arbitration. If the dispute is not resolved, it will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by JAMS under its applicable rules, rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court or seek injunctive relief for misuse of intellectual property. The arbitration will take place in Los Angeles County, California, or by video, unless the parties agree otherwise.


Class-action waiver. You and we agree to bring claims only in an individual capacity and not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective or representative proceeding.


Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing smartin@academicathletes.com within 30 days after first accepting these Terms, stating your name and that you opt out of arbitration.

21. Governing law and venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Subject to Section 20, any action relating to these Terms or the Services will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

22. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or end your access to the Services at any time if you violate these Terms, fail to pay fees when due, or act in a way that could harm other users, coaches, schools or Academic Athletes. You may stop using the Services at any time. Sections that by their nature should survive termination, including Sections 5, 10, 14, 15 and 18 through 23, will survive.

23. Changes and general terms

Changes to these Terms. We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new effective date and, for material changes, give reasonable notice by email or on the site. Continued use after the effective date means you accept the updated Terms.


General. These Terms, together with any written service agreement, event registration terms and our Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and us about the Services. If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remain in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition or sale of assets. We are not responsible for delays caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

24. Contact us

Academic Athletes LLC
770 W Imperial Ave Unit 77, El Segundo, CA 90245
Email: smartin@academicathletes.com
Website: academicathletes.com