Students Power their Passions at National Sports Analytics Competition

For Tyler Ditson ’24, his time as a Charger has brought a variety of exciting opportunities to apply what he’s learned as an undergraduate. He recently had the chance to take a graduate-level sport business analytics course and to be part of a team of Chargers that traveled to Texas to take part in a nationwide competition.

A business analytics major, Ditson and his fellow classmates excelled in the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship (NCSAC) in Dallas. It was a fun way for him to compete against other students from across the country while demonstrating what he’s learned.

After immersing himself in data analysis and taking part in three rounds of presentations, Ditson charged into the final four of the competition. That meant he delivered his final presentation not only to the panel of judges, but to everyone at the competition. He was in the arena before a national audience that included industry professionals, an experience he calls “amazing."

“At that point, it didn't matter which place I finished since everyone was able to watch my presentation and see who I was,” Ditson continued. “Also, to be able to go to a national competition, with a lot of big-name schools competing, and to be able to represent the University of New Haven meant a lot to me as well. It was great to be able to show how good our program is and how competitive we are.”

‘One can achieve unimaginable things in life’

Ditson was one of a half a dozen graduate and undergraduate students from the University who took part in the competition. They began preparing during the fall semester, evaluating ticketing data and revenue generation for sport organizations and presenting virtually to a panel of judges in the first round. Then, in the final round, they analyzed sustainability data from various venues.

Nicolas Cortes ’24 M.S., who captured first place in the first round of the competition, was charged up for the final round. He created sustainability scores and displayed the data by creating a dashboard using the analytics platform Tableau. He finished the final competition ranked #2 in the country.

“Being #1 and #2 in both rounds only gives me more motivation to continue achieving my objectives,” said Cortes, a candidate in the University’s graduate program in sport management. “This competition made me realize how far I've progressed since joining the University of New Haven. Two years ago, I did not have knowledge of any programming language or data-visualization software. Seeing results after long hours of practice is incredibly motivating. To me, this means that no matter a person’s background, with consistency, discipline, and passion one can achieve unimaginable things in life.”

‘Combine my passion with my major’

The students felt well prepared for the finals in Dallas – and for the qualifiers in the fall – thanks to the support of their faculty mentors. They worked with their professor Bo Yu, Ph.D., every week as they prepared. Dr. Yu says he’s excited about all that the students have learned and achieved throughout the academic year.

“Professors and students from other universities were deeply impressed by the professionalism and exceptional data-analytics skills of our Chargers,” he said. “Some even approached us to ask how we prepared our students for the competition. I owe this success to our students' hard work, dedication, and teamwork over the past five months.”

Cam Ledford ’24, a business analytics major, says Dr. Yu’s support was invaluable. They worked on practice rounds together, and Dr. Yu helped the students improve their presentations and charts. Ledford says taking a course with Dr. Yu and having his guidance and support meant he and his classmates felt prepared to present to the judges as well as for the one-on-one interactions with industry professionals and students from across the country.

“Dr. Yu taught us the analytics tools we needed to succeed,” said Ledford. “He did a great job of helping us grow. I won the peer division, which I was proud of because I am an introverted person, so it was nice to see people like my personality in the elevator pitch. I wasn't as confident talking to people before that. This was a great opportunity to combine my passion with my major.”

“It has been my privilege to witness their growth throughout this journey,” added Dr. Yu. “I am very proud of all six Chargers who pushed themselves to the limit and delivered their best performances in this national competition.”

‘A really great opportunity for me’

Organized by Baylor S3E and Oak View Group, the competition was hosted by the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. The event also offered Chargers the chance to attend a Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns game.

Ditson, the business analytics major who finished in the top four, was grateful for the opportunity to compete at the American Airlines Center in Dallas – and then to watch the Mavericks compete at the same venue.

“It was a really cool experience to spend time in the Mavericks’ arena, and then to be able to go to an NBA game was awesome,” said Ditson. “I was also able to network with a variety of judges at the competition, all of whom currently work in the sports industry. The fact that I was able to talk with a bunch of them about their experiences and how they apply analytics to their jobs was a really great opportunity for me.”