Brandeis International Business School

What happens when raw data meets the beautiful game?

At Brandeis International Business School’s annual Datathon, the answer is a dynamic blend of sports analytics, strategy and storytelling.

The Brandeis Datahon is a multi-day competition that challenges students to tackle real-world business problems using data, analytical thinking and teamwork.

As a Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) student, participating in the Datathon was an incredible opportunity to put my data skills into practice.

Here’s what I learned — including insights into why Brandeis is an amazing place to study sports analytics.

A soccer novice takes a deep dive

I was initially apprehensive when I found out that this particular Datathon was focused on European football (or soccer). My knowledge of the sport is limited at best. In fact, I’ve never watched a full 90-minute match in my life.

Our challenge: Using a rich dataset from ESPN, we were asked to dig into the statistics behind Europe’s best soccer clubs and predict both player and team success.

Thankfully, as I began exploring the data and working closely with my teammates, I quickly realized how much depth and strategy the sport holds.

It reinforced a valuable lesson: in analytics, the story doesn’t always reveal itself immediately. But with persistence and teamwork, meaningful insights always emerge.

My team used Python for data cleaning, feature engineering and modeling, while Tableau helped us visualize our findings and communicate our insights.

Ultimately, we strived to blend model-driven insights, predictive analytics and compelling storytelling into a real-world, sports-driven case study.

Building valuable real-world experience

I’m proud to share that my team’s presentation made it to the final round of judging!

At its core, the Datathon challenges you to think critically: How do you frame a problem? How do you navigate through data to find the signal in the noise? And most importantly, how do you present your insights in a way that drives real-world impact?

For business analytics students, this is more than an academic exercise — it’s a live simulation of what you’ll face working in the industry.

You’ll apply technical skills, collaborate with teammates and deliver solutions that matter. You’ll be pushed to not just find answers, but to ask better questions.

Participating in the Datathon means stepping outside the classroom and into a high-energy, real-world environment where your ideas and analyses can shape strategy.

It’s fun, fast-paced and incredibly rewarding.

Whether you want to test your skills, boost your resume or simply experience the thrill of solving a real challenge, the Datathon is where it all comes together.

Sports analytics at Brandeis

The same spirit of hands-on learning that makes the Datathon so special is also deeply embedded in the International Business School’s MSBA program.

The Sports Analytics concentration offers a unique opportunity for students to apply advanced analytical techniques to the fast-paced world of sports.

The concentration prepares students to evaluate player performance, optimize team strategy and explore business-side metrics. With a flexible selection of electives, students can tailor their learning to match their interests, gaining both technical skills and practical experience.

Whether you’re passionate about game strategy, data science or the business of sports, this concentration will help you transform a love for the game into a powerful career path rooted in data.

Student Insights features blog posts produced by current students and recent graduates of Brandeis International Business School. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author.