College Football Analytics and Visualization
A Data-Driven Approach to NCAA Football
First Edition
For undergraduate students, aspiring analysts, and football enthusiasts seeking to understand the modern game through data.
Combining statistical rigor with practical application, this textbook provides a comprehensive journey from foundational concepts to professional-level analytics techniques used in college football programs across the country.
About the Approach
This textbook takes a hands-on, code-first approach to learning sports analytics. Every concept is accompanied by working Python code, realistic datasets, and practical examples drawn from actual college football scenarios.
The progression from basic statistics to advanced machine learning is designed to build confidence and competence at every step. By the end of this textbook, you will have the skills to:
- Collect, clean, and analyze college football data
- Calculate and interpret advanced metrics like EPA and Win Probability
- Create compelling visualizations that tell stories with data
- Build predictive models for games, players, and recruiting
- Design and implement complete analytics systems
Target Audience
- Undergraduate students in sports management, data science, or statistics
- Aspiring sports analysts seeking to enter the field
- Current sports professionals looking to add analytics skills
- Football enthusiasts interested in understanding the game through data
Prerequisites
- Introductory statistics (descriptive statistics, basic probability)
- Basic Python programming (variables, functions, loops, data structures)
- Familiarity with college football rules and concepts
Published 2024