Tops in Sports Analytics

MSM students awarded championship at national competition

Texas McCombs Master of Science in Marketing students took home the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, last month. The team — Kathryn Clark, Johnny Henriquez, Ella Jaasma and Lucas Kirk — tied for first out of nine graduate programs from across the country.

Kirk also placed third out of 31 students in the graduate division. “What made this win even more exciting for our team was that we were competing against specialized business analytics programs in a championship heavily focused on analytics,” Kirk said. “Proving that our Master’s in Marketing program could not only hold its own but outperform these schools in model creation and presenting findings was a true testament to the strength and excellence of our program.”

Competitors analyzed real data provided from Zoomph, an analytics database. They had five minutes to present their marketing analysis to panels of seasoned sports analytics professionals. Judges considered the quality of the statistical analysis, data visualization, and actionable insights, as well as the students’ communication skills and demonstrated integrity.

Clark, Henriquez, Jaasma, and Kirk were tasked with analyzing social media data on the Professional Women’s Hockey League, turning it into insights that would drive new strategies for deeper fan engagement.

McCombs’ Master of Science in Marketing program ranked No. 2 in the country and No. 13 worldwide in the most recent QS Master’s in Marketing Rankings.

“I’m always delighted to recognize the achievements of our incredible graduate students. Kudos to Kathryn, Johnny, Ella, and Lucas!” Texas McCombs Dean Lillian Mills said. “This win attests to their talent and hard work, and also highlights the excellence of our MSM program faculty members and our experiential curriculum.”