ESHE 431: Introduction to Sport Analytics
Prerequisite: STAT 130 or STAT 200
Credit Hours: (3)
This course provides students with a basic understanding of how data is used in decision
making in a variety of sports contexts. Topics include data management, data visualization,
and the use of data analysis within decision-making in sports.
Content
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Introductory Topics:
- Data and decision-making
- Applications in team performance (on-field)
- Applications in sport organization performance (sport management)
- Introduction to understanding and organizing datasets
- Organizational Applications of Sport Analytics:
- Ticket sales and attendance
- Fan engagement
- Marketing effectiveness
- Social-media analytics
- Revenue forecasting
- Data Management and Analytics Tools:
- Spreadsheet-based analytics (Excel)
- Data cleaning and preparation
- Data quality and reliability
- Introduction to analytics software
- Basics of Statistical Analysis:
- Describing and summarizing sports data
- Data visualization
- Understanding relationships in data
- Descriptive statistics in sports data
- Understanding and developing performance metrics for teams
- Understanding relationships between performance metrics and team outcomes
- Statistical Modeling Using Sport Data:
- Linear regression
- Non-linear models
- Binary models
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Instructional strategies may include but are not limited to:
- Lectures and class discussions
- Demonstrations of data collection, organization, cleaning, and management techniques
using sport related datasets
- use of spreadsheet software and analytic tools
- Case studies
- Applied exercises
- Student presentations
- Guest speakers
Student Learning Outcomes
Following completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the role of analytics in decision-making within sport organizations and athletic
performance settings
- Collect, organize, clean, and manage sport-related datasets
- Create and interpret data visualizations that effectively communicate sport-related
information
- Apply descriptive statistical techniques to summarize and analyze sport data
- Interpret relationships among variables and evaluate performance metrics using sport
datasets
- Apply appropriate statistical methods to address sport management and athletic performance
questions
- Develop and interpret basic predictive models using sport-related data
- Communicate analytical findings and recommendations to diverse audiences using written,
visual, and oral formats
Assessment Measures
Assessment measures may include but are not limited to:
- Textbook chapter quizzes
- Research Article Reflection/Presentation
- Sport analytics case studies
- Group research project utilizing pre-existing sport datasets
- Research project poster presentation
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
November 10, 2026