UNF launches Master of Science in Sport Analytics this fall

The University of North Florida's Silverfield College of Education and Human Services will launch a new Master of Science in Sport Analytics program this fall, preparing the next generation of data-driven professionals to meet rapidly growing demand across professional sports, collegiate athletics and sport technology industries.

The global sport analytics market - valued at approximately $5.8 billion in 2025 - is projected to surpass $24 billion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of more than 22 percent, according to Fortune Business Insights. Employers across the sport industry are seeking skilled professionals with expertise in data analysis, predictive modeling, machine learning and performance technology.

"As Florida's first graduate program focused solely on sport analytics, the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services is on the front lines of preparing students for a growing and dynamic field," said Dr. Steve Dittmore, dean of the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services. "Our students won't just study the industry - they'll work alongside the sport organizations and technology companies shaping it, building skills that are immediately applicable in one of the most innovative sectors in business today."

Applied Learning from Day One

The M.S. in Sport Analytics program is built around hands-on experience. Students will collaborate with UNF faculty, sport industry executives and professional and college coaches through the university's Sport Data Analytics Lab (SDAL), analyzing real datasets from professional teams, athlete tracking systems and fan and business analytics platforms.

A cornerstone of the program is its Executive-in-Residence model, which brings working industry leaders directly into the classroom. Current executives include Michael Vitti, senior vice president of Data Science and Technology at the PGA TOUR; Ken Lovell, senior vice president of Golf Technology at the PGA TOUR; Mario Oliveri, director of Season Ticket Sales, Retention, and Service at the New York Yankees; Elaine Chiasson, Global Golf Principal at Amazon Web Services; and Brian D'Amato, president of Digital Solution Partners.

Industry partnerships extend the learning environment further. UNF has established relationships with VALD, a leader in performance testing and athlete monitoring; Vuemotion, specializing in video analytics and tracking; Playerdata, a wearable GPS performance systems provider; Zebra Technologies; and SMT, opening doors into the player tracking, performance technology and broadcast data space.

Jacksonville as a Living Lab

UNF's location in Jacksonville gives students a distinct advantage. The city's rapidly expanding sport ecosystem - spanning professional franchises, emerging leagues and sport technology companies - serves as a living laboratory for applied learning. Through the program's partnership with Sporting Jax, students gain direct access to a USL Super League organization and the analytics operations behind it, while relationships with companies like Zebra Technologies and SMT open doors into the player tracking, performance technology and broadcast data space.

Beyond those partnerships, Jacksonville's broader sport landscape - home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the PGA TOUR, THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, Sporting Jax and major venues like TIAA Bank Field - creates a network of professional opportunities that students can begin building while still enrolled. Few cities offer the concentration of professional sport organizations, marquee events and sport technology companies that Jacksonville does. For those looking to launch or advance a career in sport analytics, proximity to that ecosystem isn't just a convenience. It's a competitive edge.

Vitti says that kind of real-world immersion is exactly what separates good analysts from great ones.

"The biggest part of analytics is applying it to solve a problem, and to do that correctly, you have to be able to communicate - with peers, with industry, with the people you're trying to reach," he said. "And that's precisely what this program is designed to deliver."

Career-Ready Graduates

Graduates of the program will be prepared for roles including Sport Data Analyst, Performance Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Fan Engagement and Marketing Analyst and Sport Technology Consultant.

The M.S. in Sport Analytics joins UNF's growing portfolio of professionally oriented graduate programs in the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services.