SSAC

Moderator: Arda Ocal

Panelists: Meghan Chayka, John Wroblewski, Angela Ruggiero

Hockey is undergoing a data revolution, with analytics now shaping how the game is played, evaluated, and presented at all levels of the sport. From player development pipelines to national teams to the professional ranks, data is influencing everything from training and scouting to in-game tactics and broadcast storytelling. At every level, analytics are transforming the hockey ecosystem, enabling players and coaches to unlock individual potential, craft effective lineups, and drive the sport forward. The panel brings together three voices from across the hockey landscape: John Wroblewski (Head Coach, U.S. Women's National Team), Meghan Chayka (Co-Founder and CEO, Stathletes), and Angela Ruggiero (Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab; Olympic Gold Medalist). The discussion will examine how performance data, tracking technology, and modeling are used to improve player development, guide roster and strategy decisions, and create competitive advantages on the ice. Together, these perspectives offer a forward-looking view of how hockey is evolving into one of the most data-driven sports in the world.

Moderator: Katie Krall

Panelists: Michael Girsch, James Click, Eve Rosenbaum

As baseball analytics enter a new era of maturity and ubiquitous adoption, the competitive edge has shifted. The question is no longer whether teams use data, but how they will harness emerging technologies and advanced approaches to build championship-caliber rosters. Modern front offices must integrate AI into player evaluation, navigate rule changes that fundamentally reshape player value, and keep pace in an arms race of biomechanics, performance science, and player-development technology. This panel brings together three executives at the forefront of that evolution - Michael Girsch (VP, St. Louis Cardinals), James Click (VP, Toronto Blue Jays), and Eve Rosenbaum (Assistant GM, Baltimore Orioles). Together, they will explore the next generation of tools, frameworks, and organizational philosophies that are redefining how teams identify, acquire, and develop talent. Attendees will gain an inside look at the innovations shaping roster construction today, and the strategic challenges that will test even the most analytically sophisticated organizations in the years ahead.

Moderator: Mina Kimes

Panelists: Nick Caserio, Karim Kassam, Connor Barwin

As advanced analytics reach new heights in the NFL - both internally and externally - teams are more focused than ever on finding and maintaining the next edge.

Join three executives at the forefront of analytically-driven decision making as they discuss the most pressing questions front offices face today. Panelists will share how they approach high-stakes decision making, adjusting to new rules, situational awareness, and managing the one constant in football: change.

Moderator: Corbin Petro

Panelists: Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, Alexandra Drane, Helena Foulkes, Will Blodgett

Data, analytics, and now AI, have become some of the most powerful forces shaping modern decision-making. Across sports and other industries, it fuels innovation, operational efficiency, and growth. Yet as data becomes more sophisticated, so too does our responsibility to understand how it’s used—and for whom. “Data for Good” invites us to widen our lens outside the sports industry: beyond prediction and profit, toward purpose, equity, and shared value.

This panel explores how mission-driven thought leaders across healthcare, government, and global development are using data analysis to solve deep-seated societal challenges. By moving away from retrospective reporting toward predictive intervention, these experts are redefining how we address the "unmeasurable" aspects of the human experience.

Together, they’ll explore how data can be a tool not just for profit, but for purpose. What can the sports industry learn from sectors using analytics to inspire trust, inclusion, and long-term social impact? How might sports organizations—global brands with passionate communities—apply similar techniques to build more sustainable businesses, engage fans authentically, and drive positive change both on and off the field?

Moderator: Patrick Burke

Panelists: Bayne Pettinger, Sara Civian, Harrison Browne, Madison Packer

 

Panelists: David Collier, Maggie Riddle, Teodora Ivanova-Limon, Scott Lewis, Jose Diaz

Career Playbooks presentations are given by a wide range of professionals from leagues, teams, and other players in the sports industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear each speaker's unique story of entering and succeeding in the sports industry and learn vital careers lessons as they chart their own career paths. The Playbooks presentations will also include Q&A opportunities for attendees to engage with speakers.

Moderator: Ben Alamar

Panelists: Scott Powers, Ron Yurko, Amanda Glazer, John Tobias

Twenty years ago, when MIT hosted the first Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, only a handful of universities dared to treat sports analytics as a serious field of study rather than a niche hobby. There were no dedicated field journals, few courses nationwide, and almost no faculty willing to risk their careers studying it. Today the academic landscape could not look more different. Dozens of universities now offer majors or minors in sports analytics, field journals are thriving, and tenure-track professors, many with team or league experience, are leading cutting-edge research and training the next generation of practitioners. This panel explores how sports analytics became an academic discipline in record time and where it's headed next. We'll dig into the evolution of curricula, the growing ties between universities and professional teams, and the challenges of keeping education aligned with a rapidly changing industry. Panelists will share how academic programs are shaping (and being shaped by) the sports analytics ecosystem, from research priorities to career pipelines. Whether you're an educator, student, or industry leader, this discussion will dig into how universities are powering the next era of innovation, talent, and collaboration in sports data science.

 

Moderator: Chad Millman

Panelists: Shayne Coplan, Nate Silver, Ric Best

Do prediction markets represent a new frontier for quant-driven fandom and decision-making or just a repackaged version of sports wagering with better branding and bigger datasets? Prediction markets have surged from a niche forecasting tool to one of the fastest-growing products in sports. This panel digs into what's fueling that acceleration: Are prediction markets genuinely improving our ability to forecast sports, or are they simply scaling through broader distribution and retail participation? Panelists will break down the regulatory gray zone these markets occupy, debating whether they are meaningfully different from sports betting, how recent lawsuits and enforcement actions shape public trust, and what the current policy trajectory implies for teams, leagues, and institutional investors. Finally, we'll dig into the consumer experience, from winner-take-most dynamics to the rise of professional traders, and what it means as leagues begin integrating prediction markets directly into fan engagement.

Moderator: Paul Sabin

Panelists: John Hollinger, Craig O'Shannessy, Tobias J. Moskowitz, Ian Graham

In sports, the final scoreboard often lies. A lucky bounce or a referee's call can easily mask the true underlying performance of a team or player. In this panel, we dive into the analytical challenge of separating the "signal" of genuine skill from the "noise" of randomness and environmental factors. Each panelist has devoted their career to extracting signal from noise in a different sport, with different tools, and different stakes. Featuring experts across basketball, soccer, tennis, and finance, this discussion will explore how to isolate true performance, how behavioral biases cloud our judgment, and how to make smarter bets on players, tactics, and strategy.

Moderator: Will Whiston

Panelists: Erin Kelly, Brian Higgins, Dan Stahl, Nick Picadura

For more than a century, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has served as the governing body of college athletics. Today, however, the landscape has fundamentally shifted. With NIL, conference realignment, expanded playoffs, and revenue-sharing models redefining the economic structure of college sports, athletics departments are increasingly operating like professional franchises. In this new era, data is no longer a back-office reporting function - it is a strategic asset. This panel explores how the NCAA and its member institutions are replacing siloed decision-making with enterprise-level business intelligence. From national benchmarking and shared data infrastructure to advanced ticketing strategies like dynamic pricing, yield optimization, CRM activation, and demand forecasting, analytics is directly driving revenue growth. Join Erin Kelly, Brian Higgins, Dan Stahl, and Nick Picadura, as they discuss how institutions are maximizing fan lifetime value and building a more sustainable financial future for college athletics. The new competitive edge isn't just on the field, it's in the data.