University of Liverpool Management School to partner with OptaPro
The University of Liverpool Management School Centre for Sports Business is to partner with OptaPro to support its MSc Sports Business programme.
The leading programme offers students a Masters level understanding of the global business of sport; its organisations, stakeholders and the disciplines which make it operate successfully, with a business focus on the challenges and opportunities within the global sports business.
This partnership means that students have a unique opportunity to work with detailed Opta data via OptaPro’s ProVision tool, an analytical resource developed in partnership with TruMedia Networks.
Students will apply data to answer ‘real-world’ challenges bespoke to the sports analytics industry, presenting their findings to a select group of industry professionals.
Alongside this, OptaPro will deliver a guest lecture that will explore and showcase the use of data and analytics within the global professional football industry.
The programme provides students with the opportunity to study an MSc Sports Business in a Russell Group University which has an excellent reputation and network within football, horse racing, cricket, rugby and other sports based on its provision of high quality education in the business of sport over the past 15 years.
Discussing the partnership, Head of OptaPro Ben Mackriell said:
“OptaPro is delighted to partner with one of the United Kingdom’s leading Universities and management schools to establish a relationship geared towards innovation in sports data analytics. By providing Opta data and analytics tools to students on the course, we are excited to explore new perspectives on the applications of data to affect and influence performance in elite sport.
“There is now a significant data analytics community in all sports and at OptaPro we are driven every day to find new ways to analyse, interpret and visualise performance data to impact the work of professional teams across the world. During discussions with staff at the University of Liverpool, we feel they share our ambition for developing these methodologies with the ultimate goal of influencing the work being done at the front line of performance analytics.
“With the support of world class facilities and course leaders we look forward to working with the University and its students to support the continued growth of data analytics in sport.”
Professor Ian McHale, Chair in Sports Analytics at the Management School, added, "The Management School's partnership with OptaPro will provide our students with a unique opportunity to gain an insight into how data analytics is used, and can be used, in the business of sport. In a competitive employment market like sport provides, such experiences will give our graduates a head start as they strive to become tomorrow’s leaders.”
David Cockayne, Senior Lecturer in Business and Sport Management, commented, "The world of professional sport is constantly evolving, both at the performance and business level. OptaPro strive to provide sports organizations with insight that helps deliver competitive advantage. Likewise, our MSc Sports Business & Management seeks to provide a transformative student experience geared towards equipping and empowering the next generation of sports business leaders. Our partnership is therefore a perfect alignment of values and ambition, one in which I am confident will have a positive effect on our students’ learning, and future employability.”