There’s an NFL competition that nobody really knows about but “anyone who knows football or knows how to code has a chance,” Mike Lopez, the NFL’s senior director of football data and analytics, told CNBC.
The league announced Wednesday that its “Big Data Bowl,” a statistical-generating contest in which competitors analyze football data to generate metrics that can help teams on the field, is back for a seventh year. The contest started on Monday and the last submission must be January 6, 2025.
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In addition to the prize money (the top five submissions receive $12,500, with the winner receiving another $12,500, and No. 6 through No. 10 receiving $5,000 each) and, of course, bragging rights, there were also a number of contestants recruited by the NFL and teams that’s it. More than 75 participants are now working on data and analytics projects in sports, more than 50 of which are joining NFL clubs and retailers, according to the NFL’s press release.
“We’re not only getting ideas, but we’re also getting a pipeline of people with analytics experience who can come and work for the teams,” Lopez said. “Because the league office not only wants these ideas, but the teams also want them.”
“It’s almost like a science fair,” added Lopez.
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Previous contests have analyzed different positions on the field, from running back to defensive end, and created metrics used by NFL teams “integrated into live games,” according to the release.
This year’s competition has three submission options: an “undergraduate track” open to undergraduate students, a “metrics track” that uses pre-snap data to evaluate team or player performance, and a “coach presentation track” that analyzes data designed for coaches. .
Tips for the NFL’s Big Data Bowl
The winner of the 2024 competition, Matt Chang, wrote about how he and his team took home the top prize on Medium and offered many tips, including double-checking your results and “making sure your writing answers ‘so what’s ?’ question.” His write-up includes examples of some of the slides his team used to win them all.
The contest is sponsored by Amazon Web Services. For more information about the Big Data Bowl, click here.
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