CMU students in the MADS program collaborated with football coaches to develop a metric for the 2024 NFL Big Data Bowl, focusing on evaluating "setting the edge." Their submission made them finalists, earning $12,500 and a chance to present at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Big Picture

The intersection of data science and athletics is growing, with academia and sports teams partnering to extract insights from big data for improved performance evaluation.

By the Numbers
  • Team awarded $12,500 for being finalists in the 2024 NFL Big Data Bowl
  • More than 50 Big Data Bowl participants have been hired in data and analytics roles in sports
State of Play
  • CMU team recognized out of over 300 submissions, showcasing the university's leadership in sports analytics research
  • Potential for students to be hired by NFL teams due to their innovative work in data analytics
What's Next

The success of the edge-setting metric could revolutionize how players are evaluated, providing quantifiable measures of impact beyond traditional statistics.

Bottom Line

Collaboration between students and coaches in the NFL Big Data Bowl not only showcases academic prowess but also highlights the practical applications of data science in sports, potentially reshaping player evaluation in the industry.