Sports Analytics Research

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America's Soccer Revolution: 5 Viewing Trends Poised to Make World Cup 2026 a True Watershed Moment
It's 6:45 AM on a Saturday in Chicago, and 22-year-old Alex Taylor is already awake, phone in hand, planning his soccer viewing marathon through the Live Soccer TV app. The app displays over 100 international leagues with detailed kickoff times and streaming information for each match. With multiple screens ready—laptop, TV, and tablet—Alex prepares to watch several games simultaneously throughout his 14-hour soccer day.  
Photo Photo taken by Mike Rundle
Will Augusta National Get the Best of Rory McIlrory Once Again?
This article explores Rory McIlrory’s history at The Masters, his overall dominance in golf, and his potential ability to win a green jacket this year, or any year in the future.  
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Crimson Calculations: Monte Carlo Simulation Reveals Alabama's True Playoff Potential
Using advanced Monte Carlo simulation techniques, this comprehensive analysis examines how Alabama football's inclusion in the 2024/2025 College Football Playoff would have impacted championship probabilities. The study, conducted by Samford University's Center for Sports Analytics, simulated 10,000 iterations of a 12-team CFP bracket with Alabama replacing SMU. Results demonstrate Alabama would have emerged as a legitimate championship contender with an 11% title probability, significantly higher than SMU's chances. The analysis addresses the controversial playoff selection decision, incorporating perspectives from Nick Saban and Greg Byrne while providing data-driven insights into strength of schedule impact and potential championship matchups in the expanded CFP format. 
Photo Photo from ncaa.com
Predicting the 12-Team CFP Champion: A Monte Carlo Simulation Analysis of College Football's New Playoff Era
As college football enters a historic new chapter with its first-ever 12-team playoff, this analysis employs Monte Carlo simulation to forecast potential outcomes of the 2024 College Football Playoff (CFP). Using probability estimates from Massey Ratings and running 10,000 simulations, we reveal Georgia as the slight favorite with a 17.7% chance of winning it all. The study also uncovers interesting insights about seeding implications and validates its findings against betting market odds. This comprehensive analysis offers fans and analysts a data-driven preview of what to expect in this groundbreaking tournament format. 
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The Red River Showdown- Texas and Oklahoma Fans: These border state rivals clash over more than just football
This study examines the distinct characteristics and preferences of Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners football fans through analysis of social media data collected from their respective official team X (formerly Twitter) accounts. The research reveals significant disparities between the two fanbases beyond their traditional football rivalry. 
Photo Nikola Jokic
Predicting the future of sports? Impossible. Point blank.
This article delves into the complexities of NBA predictions and sports forecasting challenges, focusing on projecting the future NBA MVP for 2029. Using advanced sports analytics, including Win Shares analysis and player performance projection models, the piece examines NBA career trajectories and basketball statistics to identify potential future stars. The study highlights rising NBA young talents like Victor Wembanyama and discusses the limitations of current prediction methods. By combining factors such as age and experience, the article presents a new approach to player performance projection, offering insights into the future landscape of the NBA while acknowledging the unpredictable nature of sports forecasting.