Since pro football season is right around the corner, we’ve decided to launch a fun weekly contest for our readers and their friends and family! It’s known as the 2014 Pigskin Pick’em Contest. It’s FREE and EASY to play, and each week, you could possibly win a great prize from our local sponsors!

The bottom line?

Each week, you will sign into the contest website, and pick as many winning football games as you can. You will accrue points for each winning game you pick, and come Tuesday morning, we will announce the winner and award them a certificate, good for a prize from a local Monroe County business!

Also, dedicated players who make picks each week will be eligible for a grand prize at the end of the 2014-15 season. So be sure to play weekly to rack up those wins!

Thank you to our generous local sponsors:

• JV’s Downtown Bar & Grill
• Gallagher’s Restaurant
• Illini Pediatrics
• Quality Collision and Towing
• Republic-Times

(If you’re a local business owner and would like to sponsor a weekly prize, email: ryan@republictimes.net)

How to sign up?

The fastest way to get into the contest is to send an email to: ryan@republictimes.net – he will send you an invite from the contest, which will give you directions on how to get in.

Or head over to this link: http://rtpool.football.cbssports.com

When you’re there, it will ask you to register (free, and you can even register using Facebook which makes it even easier). It will also ask you for a password to join the Republic Times pool, which is: rtpool205

Once registered and signed in, you can head over to your “picks” page, and make your picks for the upcoming week. You have until 5 minutes before the game to make your pick. If you fail to make picks, you will obviously not accrue any points.

Good luck! If you have any questions related to this contest, please email ryan@republictimes.net