Events

The 6th annual Hackathon at the 2020 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference will bring innovative and analytical minds together to create groundbreaking solutions in the sports industry.

The Hackathon, presented by ESPN, will take place on Thursday, March 5th (i.e. the day before the official start of the Conference) starting at 8:30 am ET.  Industry experts from ESPN will provide mentorship throughout the event. The event culminates with participants presenting their work in a brief presentation to a panel of distinguished judges.

A set of finalists from both the Student and Open divisions will then be selected to present their ideas during the second day (i.e. Saturday) of the Conference.

Application Process

Applications for the 2020 competition are now closed. Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in the event!

Please contact the Hackathon team (hackathon@sloansportsconference.com) if you have questions or concerns. We encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter in order to receive the latest information about the conference.

2020 Hackathon Theme: College basketball player and ball tracking data

Participants will use player and ball tracking data, provided by ShotTracker, from men’s and women’s college basketball games to perform objective data-based analysis and gain insights on in-game play. The data is acquired with UWB tracking sensors and provides coordinate data (x, y, z) with high temporal and spatial resolution.

Hackathon FAQs

Q: When is the Hackathon?

A: The Hackathon will start at 8:30 am and run most of the day on the Thursday before the conference (March 5th).  Final presentations will occur on the Saturday of the conference (March 7th).

Q: Is the Hackathon an individual or team event?

A: All applicants must apply individually, but are welcome to collaborate in the competition.

Q: Are there any restrictions on what companies I can apply from for the Open track?

A: Nope! Any professional should feel free to apply.

Q: Do I need to buy a ticket to apply/participate in the Hackathon?

A: If you are selected as a participant, you will have the opportunity to buy a ticket.  Students will be able to purchase a ticket at the Student rate, while Open track participants will have to pay full price.

Q: Is the competition open to students of all levels?

A: Yup!  Feel free to apply if you are in high school, undergrad, masters, or PhD programs.

Q: When will I hear back if I am selected as an participant in the Hackathon?

A: The current plan is to send out notifications of acceptance the week of February 3rd.

Q: What will happen day of the competition?

A: On Thursday March 5th, participants will be provided with a brief to the theme.  Participants will work the problem during the day with the competition ending in the afternoon.  If you are selected as a finalist, you will be invited to present on Saturday March 7th.

Q: Who is judging the competition?

A: The judging panel will be made up of industry leaders in the sports analytics space who can evaluate the quality of the submissions from the competition.