NFL Players Association Launches Second Annual Data Analytics Case Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) announced the launch of its second annual Data Analytics Case Competition on Wednesday. With data analytics playing an essential role in supporting long-term success for elite athletes, this initiative helps support the NFLPA’s data-informed approach to player advocacy and support.

For this year’s competition, undergraduate and graduate students are invited to address a challenge surrounding the cumulative effects of workload and their impact on key metrics (i.e. player performance, injury risk, earnings or team wins and losses) throughout the course of an NFL season. Participating students must cite policies and/or CBA provisions that contributed to their insights, while providing recommendations for how to best advocate in the players’ best interest relating to cumulative workload.

The application window is now open, with submissions due by January 6, 2026. Five finalist teams will then be selected to present their findings to the NFLPA’s executive leadership and other special industry guests at its office in Washington, D.C. The panel of judges will choose the winning teams and award $30,000 in cash and prizes to be shared among the team members.

“In today’s sports landscape, data analytics isn’t just a tool – it’s a game changer for athletes and the teams they play for,” said Emily Thomas, the NFLPA’s director of data analytics. “We are excited to once again host the Data Analytics Case Competition as a way of challenging the next generation of thinkers to tackle real issues in the world of sports and to utilize data in a way that will benefit our union’s player members.”

For last year’s inaugural competition, 20 teams of undergraduate students accepted the challenge of exploring the “middle class” of NFL players, how this compensation tier has been impacted by policies, CBA provisions and trends, and ways to advocate for the interests of players in this group. The winning team received $20,000 and two participants from the competition went on to become summer interns with the NFLPA’s Data Analytics team.

For more information or to apply for the NFLPA Data Analytics Case Competition, please visit the landing page.