Sports Analytics Have Changed the Game For Good

Baseball has always been a sport guided by instincts and crotchety old men observing and opining from the bleachers...until it wasn't.

Hockey, a free-flowing sport with seemingly endless movement, has always been known for brilliant bursts of speed and talent, until another, more meaningful data point emerged convincing teams to reroute their game philosophy.

The list goes on for every sport. Pick a competition and there is a way data and analytics can enhance it.

Basketball, football, soccer, tennis - all have been impacted by the advancement of statistical analysis and data mining. Statistics that used to be the standard bearer for success, like RBI, are now considered relics, proven to be less effective at valuing performance or present any direct correlation to winning.

“The frontier of analytics is just beginning and there is no end in sight to the potential,” says Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Sports Management Worldwide President and Founder. "Technology has opened the door for infinite analytic advancement. Analytics is one of the fastest growing jobs types in the market according to our research. Teams are hiring now. This is a new career path with vast potential.”

The reason: Analytics isn't a fad. It isn't a blink in time phenomenon rocketing to the forefront only to burn out just as fast during it's decent back to Earth.

Data mining has shown itself to be directly related to winning. But not only is it related to winning, it is also related to revenue growth.

Sports analytics isn't just about on-field performance, it's about off-field dynamic ticket pricing, increased concession sales and improved marketing and promotions. The statistical deep dive doesn't stop at Wins Above Replacement, SAT% or DVOA, it extends into an entire organizational operation.

Jobs in sales, marketing, scouting, broadcasting, promotions and coaching are all effected by this shift in perception - so are you on board or stuck in the past?

Sports is changing, and most would agree for the better. The athletes themselves are bigger, faster, smarter...but for the first time in a generation, so are the coaches, scouts and executives in charge (well, except for the Buffalo Bills).

Our friends at Modis have demonstrated the growth of sports analytics in this detailed infographic we think you should check out and share: