Latest news with #CharlieMyers
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How college football teams are using data to find players in the transfer portal
Charlie Myers grew up in England, playing and loving European football. So he eagerly took a job last year at SkillsCorner, a Paris-based company that helps Premier League clubs use data to find players around the world. It was an untapped market for analytics, getting sophisticated tracking data, something beyond stats and film, on players in Argentina, Peru, Poland and elsewhere, then passing it on to the biggest clubs in Europe for their use in the ultra-competitive transfer market. Advertisement Before long, of course, the company realized there was another untapped market for a similar thing: American college football. 'The teams are all feeling the pain of the transfer portal,' said Myers, speaking with an English accent but a very American understanding of college football. 'It's interesting because college football doesn't have centralized control, like an (NFL) salary cap. It's very similar to European football.' But what SkillsCorner hopes to provide college teams — big and small — it sees as a big differentiator for programs. 'It's a very clear fit between problem and solution,' Myers said. 'It's an area that we expect is going to grow.' That seems like a good bet. At the American Football Coaches Association convention in January, there were at least five companies with booths advertising their ability to research for the transfer portal. Some other companies were not as obvious but have been contracted by teams. While it's a relatively new and evolving industry, many programs already dabble in advanced recruiting analytics. Some use data from Pro Football Focus. SportSource Analytics, whose schedule strength data is used by the College Football Playoff committee, has a tool called Coaches By the Numbers. One general manager for a Group of 5 program told The Athletic he uses it along with PFF to get basic data, such as games started, snaps played and PFF grades. 'But I'm watching tape. At the end of the day, the football tape is going be what we determine our final evaluation,' the GM said. 'But yes, I'm using (advanced data) to get my initial information.' Many analytic companies believe they can offer much more. Hudl is well-known to most recruiting junkies and high school football fans, mostly just as the source for video of highly-recruited players. But the company is becoming much more involved in the transfer portal and is a source of more sophisticated data on players. Advertisement At many high school games, especially if they involve a top-500 player, Hudl will have an automated camera, a big white box that hangs on top of the press box, filming games. The public tends to only see the big, impressive plays that emerge from those games, but Hudl uploads all plays involving the key players, and almost every FBS program — and many at other levels — pay for the use of Hudl's website to research players. A player who didn't play much, or at all, for his college team may enter the portal. Interested teams, therefore, would not have any college game film on the player — and his former team isn't going to easily pass on practice film — but the high school film is still on Hudl. 'We can generally tell if a kid is in the portal or they're going to be in the portal based on action on who's watching the film,' said Matt Mueller, the Hudl COO. Hudl is trying to go deeper than that: It acquired a company called Statsbomb last year, rebranded it as Hudl IQ and is using it to get more tracking data on players through that film. Then Hudl can use the data to group players by position, type of runner and by specific metrics: speed, acceleration and velocity and then by the first 10 yards of the run, then the next 15 yards and so on. An example: A team wants a certain type of running back who is more of a physical, between-the-tackles runner. Hudl gives the team a list of all the players who fit that mold and then lists the metrics it came up with for every player. 'It's more of a filtering tool,' Mueller said. 'Our hope is to help the teams make the right bet faster.' Some examples of what this advanced data looks like: • For wide receivers and defensive backs, teams can get data for separation ability by tracking the distance between players throughout a play, doing it by milliseconds. Advertisement • For edge rushers, teams can get data for get-off time. Jared Verse was a first-round pick whose SkillsCorner's data showed he was exceptionally well last year. • For offensive and defensive linemen, the teams can track 'knock-backs,' as in how much players are able to knock the person ahead of them. This is the kind of analytics that has been happening for years in international soccer. Brighton in the Premier League is a well-known example: Club owner Tony Bloom used data to find talented players in less obvious places, but how and what data the team used is a closely-guarded secret. Much like college football, information is currency among soccer clubs, and paranoia is rampant. SkillsCorner, more willing to talk in order to generate clients, started working about a decade ago with teams in the Premier League and then in the U.S. with Major League Soccer. That led to seeing how it could be applied in American football, first in the NFL. There was no need to install cameras; just get the all-22 film and then run it through the company's computer vision algorithm. Hayden Schuh played at Washington for Steve Sarkisian and Chris Peterson. He then coached at Cal and Montana State before transitioning into sports tech, first at an American company and then was hired by SkillsCorner when it moved into American football. 'We're innovators. And we're focused on helping teams innovate,' Schuh said. 'Hopefully, we can help college teams scout like NFL teams.' An example where the data was predictive: SkillsCorner's data last year identified Holy Cross receiver Jalen Coker as an underrated player who could succeed at the next level. The company put data from many receivers in a graph, and the dot that stood out was Coker: He was below average in top speed but significantly above average in quickness. His 40 time was a 4.57, but his separation ability was significantly above average. Advertisement 'He was a very fluid route runner; that showed in his data, his top end speed and accelerations,' Schuh said. 'And even in specific route types, in being able to create separation, in moment of the snap, moment of the throw, moment of the catch, he was able to create separation.' Coker went undrafted but was signed by the Carolina Panthers and had 478 receiving yards as a rookie. Brock Purdy was another example from a few years back. The quarterback had high numbers that belied his lower prospect status, and San Francisco ended up with a steal taking Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 draft. This is what SkillsCorner, and companies like it, are hoping to bring to college football, or already are. 'At its core, it's about making smart decisions,' Myers said. 'The big teams with the big budgets have the spending to pull players. Whereas teams lower on the pyramid, when you've got limited resources and these decisions can make or break your season, how can we help you make the right decision. 'This kind of sophisticated player recruitment is going to be a big differentiator for a lot of programs, particularly below the cream of the crop.' — The Athletic's Sam Khan contributed to this report. (Top photo of Jalen Coker: Alan Arsenault / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / April 9, 2025 / Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been awarded the coveted 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award in the Production category. This prestigious recognition, new at this year's show, highlights significant achievements in media innovation, specifically honoring projects that push boundaries and redefine possibilities in content production. The NAB Show is an annual conference and exhibition for the media, entertainment, and technology industries, showcasing the latest innovations in broadcasting, digital media, and content creation and drawing more than 60,000 attendees each of the past two years. MSE, the premier sports and entertainment organization behind the Washington Capitals (NHL), Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Mystics (WNBA), and Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), embarked on a groundbreaking technology transformation led by Diversified in 2024 to elevate fan engagement and revolutionize sports production. Central to this initiative was the integration of Dalet's advanced media asset management (MAM) platform and newsroom tools within MNMT's next-generation SMPTE ST 2110 IP-based production facility that opened in March 2024 and has set a new standard across the regional sports media landscape. Charlie Myers, CTO at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, shared his excitement about the award, saying, "Receiving this honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire technology team at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and speaks to how impactful our collaboration with Dalet has been for our organization. This partnership has enabled us to create a cutting-edge production environment that enhances how we engage with our fans, both in-person and through our media platform. It's incredibly gratifying to see our vision acknowledged in such a significant way, and this award serves as both a recognition of our efforts and an inspiration for future innovations." Jason Kornweiss, senior vice president, advisory services at Diversified, commented, "Diversified congratulates MSE on its 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award win. This recognition is further validation of MSE's enduring dedication to delivering amazing experiences, and Diversified is honored to be a trusted partner in this transformational, award-winning collaboration." Tara Bryant, CRO at Dalet, added, "This award reflects the incredible innovation and collaboration between Dalet and MSE. By combining Dalet's state-of-the-art technology with MSE's groundbreaking vision for fan experience, we've set a new benchmark for sports production workflows. We are thrilled to share this milestone moment, which perfectly aligns with our mission to deliver a user-centric, modular platform tailored to the needs of diverse media-driven industries." The ambitious project encompassed groundbreaking advancements, including a fully virtualized hybrid cloud infrastructure, enhanced storytelling workflows powered by Dalet Flex, and a seamless multi-platform content distribution system tailored for both in-arena and at-home audiences. These innovations not only increased operational efficiency, but also enabled MSE to deliver unparalleled fan experiences, including dozens of alternate broadcasts for the Capitals and Wizards, advanced analytics as part of the MNMT Game Center gamification experience, and expansive original programming. The award-winning transformation reflects the shared commitment of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Diversified, and Dalet to innovation, collaboration, and audience-first solutions. By combining expertise and cutting-edge technology, the partnership has set a precedent for future advancements in sports and media production. For details on the project design, download the case study. For more information on this project and insights into how Dalet is shaping the foundation for visionary media operations, visit About Monumental Sports & Entertainment Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America's leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans, and our people. To learn more, please visit About Diversified Diversified is a global leader in audiovisual and media innovation, recognized for designing and building the world's most experiential environments. Our Emmy Award-winning team specializes in delivering solutions for the most complex, large-scale, and immersive installations. Serving a global clientele that includes major media organizations and retailers, sports and live performance venues, corporate enterprises, and government agencies, Diversified partners with clients to create spaces that bring people together and keep them coming back. About Dalet Dalet empowers media-rich organizations to transform their production and distribution workflows - accelerating media operations, maximizing collaboration and creating higher value from content. As a leading media technology and service provider with over three decades of innovation, our software solutions enable greater control, enhanced visibility and increased productivity for content professionals and storytellers around the globe. Leading organizations such as Fox Networks Group, Arsenal Football Club, MediaCorp, Peloton, and the BBC trust Dalet to support their daily content operations. Our team is driven by a passion for media and committed to empowering a world where compelling stories are beautifully made, effortlessly told and thoughtfully delivered. Learn more at Press Contacts Alex MolinaGrithaus Agency(e) alex@ +1 (617) 834-9600 Christopher BrowneMonumental Sports & Entertainment(e) cbrowne@ +1 (413) 636-1336 SOURCE: Dalet
