STORY BY
EMMA GHAEMMAGHAMI

Alabama Sports Analytics

The Alabama Sports Analytics Club, founded Fall 2017, offers students at The University of Alabama the opportunity to share and expand their knowledge of the sports data and analytics industry. The club is open to students of all majors who are interested in sports, sports data and analytics, and sports journalism.

The club has examined topics that use sports analytics and sports data such as betting, coaching and training methods, and professional athlete contracts and trades. Members are encouraged to discuss and write about any area of sports analytics that interests them. In the future, the club hopes to partner with UA athletics teams to handle their data analytics.

“The Sports Analytics Club has been an outstanding opportunity for me to learn more about the growing field of data analytics in the most interesting way possible, by discussing sports. I highly recommend joining to anyone passionate about sports or hoping to work in the industry!” Tyler Stamm, club vice president and Honors College student, said.

The field of sports analytics is often associated with the 2011 film Moneyball, but the applications of sports analytics are much broader than just baseball, and the industry is growing rapidly. According to a 2018 market forecast from Infoholic Research, “the sports analytics market is expected to witness a CAGR of 43.5% to reach $4.5 billion by 2024.”

The club’s 90 members share their ideas and expertise through monthly meetings and by publishing articles and projects on the club’s website. Some members have even received job offers based on their work. The Alabama Sports Analytics Club also hosts guest speakers at least once a semester, and past speakers include the founder of the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network, Justin Volman, and the Vice President of social media marketing solution company SpredFast.

“In my two years in the Alabama Sports Analytics Club it has been great to see the growth of the club, and the connections it has opened up for me to meet potential employers in the sports business.” Luke Kreutzer, executive board member and Honors College student, said.

Students interested in joining the Alabama Sports Analytics Club should email bamasportsanalytics@gmail.com for more information.