Sport Analytics Students Shape UFL Tactics and Regulations through Influential Input
In a groundbreaking partnership, the United Football League (UFL) hired five students from the David B. Falk College of Sport to work for the league during the 2025 season. The students - Austin Ambler, Danny Baris, Toby Halpern, Zach Seidel, and Nolan Bruton - worked on various significant projects, making a tangible impact on the league.
The students' internship with the UFL marked the first time an American college or university worked with the nation's premier spring football league. The experience was invaluable, as the students gained insights that were impossible to replicate in the classroom. Regular meetings were held to discuss projects, findings were shared through visualization (charts, graphs, dashboards), and strategies for next steps were formulated.
One of the most notable projects was the development of the QB Decision Score by Austin Ambler and Danny Baris. This innovative model determines if a quarterback made the right passing decision based on the predicted Expected Points Added (EPA) of each receiver on the play. Initially, the UFL officials were unsure if the QB Decision Score model was possible, but they gave Ambler and Baris the go-ahead to try.
The students' work, including the use of the Sportable tracking device, impressed film producer and UFL co-owner Dany Garcia. Many of the data analysis models developed by the students were elevated to the teams and their coaches during the season.
The partnership between the UFL and Falk College of Sport was overseen by Bryan Kilmeade, Scott Harniman, and Brad Campbell, who are UFL officials overseeing the sport analytics students. Kilmeade, a sport management major in Falk College, was a student of Department of Sport Analytics Chair Rodney Paul and current Director of Corporate Partnerships and External Engagement Francesco Riverso.
In addition to the QB Decision Score, the students worked on several other projects. These included a point after touchdown conversion (PAT) decision chart, an onside kick alternative, and game timing. These projects aim to improve the game's strategy and make it more exciting for fans.
Despite a lack of publicly available information about these projects, it is clear that the students' work with the UFL has been significant. The partnership between the UFL and Falk College of Sport is a testament to the college's commitment to providing students with real-world experiences and opportunities to apply their knowledge in a practical setting.
[1] General League Information
[2] Player Signings
[3] Season Highlights
[4] Tournament Schedules
[5] UFL Media Relations
- The students from David B. Falk College of Sport, during their internship with the United Football League (UFL) in 2025, developed the QB Decision Score, an innovative model that assesses a quarterback's passing decisions based on the predicted Expected Points Added (EPA) of each receiver, aiming to enhance the game's strategy and make it more engaging for fans.
- Apart from the QB Decision Score, the students also worked on projects such as a point after touchdown conversion (PAT) decision chart, an onside kick alternative, and game timing, which could potentially be featured in [1] to [5] sections of the UFL's official website, thus showcasing the impact of their educational-and-self-development endeavors in the field of online-education through sports, particularly football.
