Application of Geographic Information Systems in Collegiate Football Recruiting
Location
CSU Ballroom
Start Date
16-4-2013 2:00 PM
End Date
16-4-2013 4:00 PM
Student's Major
Geography
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Rama Mohapatra
Mentor's Department
Geography
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
College football is a major industry that is expanding rapidly. A median of 13 million dollars is spent annually on college football programs, with an average of 300,000 dollars spent on recruiting. In 2011, 1.1 million boys played football at the high school level, so the right athlete for your program may be difficult to find. Using Arc GIS, we can spatially analyze locations of where starting athletes are coming from and find patterns in their locations. The reader does not need to know anything in detail to understand this study. Using box scores and game participation, I am collecting data on who started and how many games they started in the NSIC since 2008, with the exception of two teams.
After we have that data, we can map out where they played high school football and find the patterns. The preliminary findings for this research are interesting. Each school may look for a different type of athlete. Some schools may have recruited their athletes from small towns and other schools concentrate on larger schools. With ongoing research, we will see if there is a correlation between top teams and the bottom teams of the conference and where they recruit their athletes. This research will open doors for GIS and how it can be used in recruiting and assist coaches in finding athletes of their caliber.
Application of Geographic Information Systems in Collegiate Football Recruiting
CSU Ballroom
College football is a major industry that is expanding rapidly. A median of 13 million dollars is spent annually on college football programs, with an average of 300,000 dollars spent on recruiting. In 2011, 1.1 million boys played football at the high school level, so the right athlete for your program may be difficult to find. Using Arc GIS, we can spatially analyze locations of where starting athletes are coming from and find patterns in their locations. The reader does not need to know anything in detail to understand this study. Using box scores and game participation, I am collecting data on who started and how many games they started in the NSIC since 2008, with the exception of two teams.
After we have that data, we can map out where they played high school football and find the patterns. The preliminary findings for this research are interesting. Each school may look for a different type of athlete. Some schools may have recruited their athletes from small towns and other schools concentrate on larger schools. With ongoing research, we will see if there is a correlation between top teams and the bottom teams of the conference and where they recruit their athletes. This research will open doors for GIS and how it can be used in recruiting and assist coaches in finding athletes of their caliber.
Recommended Citation
O'Neil, Matthew. "Application of Geographic Information Systems in Collegiate Football Recruiting." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 16, 2013.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2013/poster-session-B/41
