Four students from Syracuse University’s Sport Analytics program will travel to Dallas, Texas, Feb. 21-22 to compete in the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship and defend Syracuse’s national title.
Seniors Collin Kneiss, Nicholas Kamimoto, Tyler Bolebruch, and Marissa Schneider will represent Syracuse at the event, which is hosted by the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks at their home arena, the American Airlines Center. The students will compete in the business analytics category; in 2023, Syracuse University won the game analytics category that is not a part of the competition this year.
“They are a true inspiration as they have taken on this challenge, been willing to put themselves in the arena, and continually worked to improve their skills and themselves,” says Rodney Paul, director of the Sport Analytics program and a professor in the Department of Sport Management at the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. “They are role models and leaders to our young students and are incredible representatives of Falk College and Syracuse University.”
The championship in Dallas is the second half of the national competition that includes more than 150 college students from around the country. In the first half, which was held virtually, students were given a prompt and had to prepare and present their analytics work to judges.
“The students in our program are our greatest asset,” says Paul, the team’s coach. “We are so proud of Collin, Nicholas, Tyler, and Marissa and how well they performed and look forward to them demonstrating their abilities on a national stage.”
The trip to Dallas is funded through a gift from Syracuse University Trustee and alum Andrew Berlin ’83, who continues to support sport analytics student-focused initiatives.
Before they traveled to Dallas, we asked Kneiss, Kamimoto, Bolebruch, and Schneider questions about representing Falk College and Syracuse University at this national event, their first-round success, and what they expect in the finals. Here’s what they said:
What’s it like to represent Falk College and Syracuse University at this prestigious national event?
Kneiss (sport analytics and economics dual major with a minor in sport management): Being able to represent Syracuse and Falk College has been an amazing feeling. Syracuse has been a great place to be and has helped me in so many ways, so I’m glad to be able to now represent the University.
Kamimoto (sport analytics and economics dual major and sport management minor): It’s an honor to represent Falk, Syracuse, and the Sport Analytics program at the championships. Syracuse has been my home for the past four years, and it feels incredible to finish my time here by competing at the championships. I have learned numerous skills from my professors at Syracuse that I’ll be able to apply during this event.
Bolebruch(sport analytics and economics dual major with minors in finance and mathematics): I’m grateful to represent Falk and Syracuse at the national level. I look forward to the four of us having a chance to bring home another trophy for Falk and Syracuse University.
Schneider (sport analytics and economics dual major and sport management minor): I feel incredibly proud that I get to represent Falk, Syracuse, and the Sport Analytics program at the championships. This competition is an experience that I feel very honored to have as not everyone gets to participate in it.
In the first round, can you briefly describe what you did and your reaction when you saw the final standings?
Kneiss: For the first round, we were given data and asked to create a presentation within three days that we eventually presented to two analytics judges over Zoom. When everything was done and I woke up to (congratulatory) emails from many of my professors and advisors, I felt proud of my work and excited that my name was on it.
Kamimoto: In the first round, I created a ticket price-model based on the number of days before an event. I examined how the prices and quantity of tickets purchased changed at all levels of the stadium, depending on whether the tickets were purchased seven days or less before the event or seven days or more before the event. Upon seeing the final standings, I was proud of my achievement and of the entire team as we all finished in excellent positions.
Bolebruch: In the first round, I created models to show how the demand for tickets shifts as the game gets closer. I felt confident about this analysis, and I expected the four of us to do very well, but to see all four of us in the top 20 with all the students that participated was better than I could have hoped.
Schneider: I was extremely proud of myself and, of course, my peers who also placed in the top standings. I have never done something like this before, so I felt proud of my work and I hope to have the same success, if not better, at the championships in Dallas.
How are you feeling about your chances in Dallas, and do you know what assignment you’ll receive at the competition?
Kneiss: I was extremely nervous coming into this competition, but after seeing my qualifying results, I have become confident with my abilities and my chances in Dallas. We know the data will involve recycling and trash data, so I’ve tried to start brainstorming the possibilities of what I can do and hopefully get ahead early.
Kamimoto: I’m feeling good about my chances in Dallas, and I’ll need to continue to put my best work out there. We know that we’ll be working with an energy and sustainability dataset, and I am excited to get there and get started.
Bolebruch: I feel confident. With our seeding, we have a good chance of finishing as the No. 1 school; now, it’s time to show up and perform. We recently received a study guide and practice dataset for the competition, and it will likely focus on sustainability and energy at different sport venues. So, it will be interesting to see what everyone will come up with for that.
Schneider: I feel confident in my chances, and I also feel confident in the chances of my peers. We have all received a study guide for the championships that says we’ll receive data related to water and waste. The championship is the same format as the virtual rounds as each participant is expected to present a five-minute presentation based on the given prompt that everyone will receive. Each participant is given a few hours to create the presentation that will provide insights for venues to improve sustainability performance.
Students Awarded SOURCE Grants
Sport analytics students Danny Baris, Hunter Kuchenbaur, and Jonah Soos were awarded a Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) grant for $3,150 for their research on “Promotions in Minor League Baseball: An Analysis Across Leagues.” Sport analytics student Marcus Mann was awarded a SOURCE grant for $2,385 for his research on “Data Driven Insights on Tommy John Surgery.”
Baris, Soos, and Mann will present their research at the NINE Spring Training Conference in Tempe, Arizona, in early March and will use their SOURCE grants to fund their trips. Baris, Soos, and Mann will present their research at the NINE Spring Training Conference in Tempe, Arizona, in early March and will use their SOURCE grants to fund their trips. Kuchenbaur is unable to attend as he is traveling with Syracuse University on an immersion class trip overseas.