Several Chargers recently traveled to Dallas, Texas to excel at the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship. This was a great opportunity to network with industry professionals and demonstrate what we learned in the classroom.
March 7, 2024
Written by Renee Chmiel, Marketing and Communications Department
Six students recently traveled to Dallas for NCSAC.
For Tyler Ditson ’24, his time as a Charger has provided a variety of exciting opportunities to apply what he learned during his undergraduate years. He recently had the opportunity to take a graduate level sports business analysis course and be part of the Chargers team that traveled to Texas to participate in a national tournament.
Ditson, a business analytics major, and her classmates excelled at the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship (NCSAC) in Dallas. For him, it was a fun way to compete against other students from around the country while demonstrating what he had learned.
After immersing himself in data analysis and participating in three rounds of presentations, Ditson entered the final four rounds of the competition. In other words, he presented his final presentation not only to a panel of judges; everyone At the tournament. He stood in the arena in front of a national audience that included industry professionals, and he called the experience “amazing.”
“At that point, it didn't matter where I finished because everyone could see my presentation and know who I was,” Ditson continued. “It also meant a lot to me to be able to represent the University of New Haven in a national tournament where so many big-name schools compete. I was very happy to be able to show that.”
“A person can accomplish unimaginable things in life.”
Ditson was one of six graduate and undergraduate students from the university who participated in the competition. They began preparations during the fall semester, evaluating ticket sales data and revenue generation for sports organizations and presenting virtually to a first-round panel of judges. And in the final round, we analyzed sustainability data from different venues.
The Nicola Cortes '24 MS, which took first place in the first race, has been powered up for the final race. He created a sustainability score and used the analytics platform Tableau to create dashboards to display the data. He finished the final competition ranked second in the country.
“Being first and second in both rounds gives me even more motivation to continue achieving my goals,” said Cortez, a candidate in the university's sports management graduate program. “This competition made me realize how much progress I have made since coming to the University of New Haven. Two years ago, I had no knowledge of programming languages or data visualization software. Seeing the results of your practice is very motivating. For me, this shows that no matter what your background, with consistency, discipline, and passion, you can do unimaginable things in life. It means you can achieve it.”
“Combine your passion with your major”
Thanks to the support of their academic advisors, the students felt well prepared for the finals in Dallas and the fall prelims. They worked with their professor, Dr. Bo Yu, to prepare each week. Dr. Yu says she is excited about all the students have learned and accomplished throughout the school year.
“Faculty and students from other universities were deeply impressed by the Chargers’ professionalism and outstanding data analysis skills,” he said. “Some of them asked us how we prepared our students for the competition. This success is due to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork of our students over the past five months.”
Six students attended NCSAC in Dallas.
Cam Ledford '24, a business analysis major, said Dr. Yu's support was invaluable. They worked through practice rounds together, and Dr. Yu helped the students improve their presentations and charts. Mr. Redford felt that by taking Dr. Yu's course and receiving the guidance and support, he and his classmates were better prepared to present to the jury, as well as industry experts from across the country. He said he felt ready to interact one-on-one with families and students.
“Dr. Yu has given us the analytical tools we need to be successful,” Redford said. “He has done a great job helping us grow. I am an introvert, so I was proud to win in the peer category. It was great to see people. Before that, I didn't have the confidence to talk to people. This was a great opportunity to combine my passion with my major.”
“It has been my privilege to witness their growth throughout this journey,” Dr. Yu added. “I am extremely proud of all six Chargers who pushed themselves to the limit and performed at their best at this national championship.”
“It’s a really great opportunity for me.”
The tournament, hosted by Baylor S3E and Oak View Group, was hosted by the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. The event also provided the Chargers with an opportunity to watch a game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.
Ditson, a business analysis major who finished in the top four, was grateful for the opportunity to compete at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and then watch a Mavericks game at the same venue.
“It was a really great experience spending time in the Mavericks arena, and then being able to go to an NBA game was awesome,” Ditson said. “I was also able to network with various judges at the competition, all of whom currently work in the sports industry. I learned a lot about how they apply their experience and analysis to their work. The fact that I was able to talk to people was a really great opportunity for me.”
