UNF Sport Data Analytics Lab upgrades on-campus tennis court for research

The UNF Sport Data Analytics (SDA) Lab has begun construction to refurbish and install new technology on the tennis courts and researchers will start conducting data analysis next spring.

SportsMEDIA Technology (SMT) Jacksonville is an official supporter of the SDA Lab and will invest in the refurbishment of the existing tennis courts outside the Fountains Residence Hall on the UNF campus. SMT will also install a mobile computer room to conduct on-site data analysis.

This construction will bring the courts up to the United States Tennis Association standards so that UNF computer science and sport management students can gain first-hand data collection and data analysis experience and work with state-of-the-art SMT provided technologies. 

SMT data collectors will utilize the SDA Lab to test run new technologies, data tools and software before being rolled out to tournaments like Roland Garros, the U.S. Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon.

“This will be the SDA Lab’s first on-field analytics project focused on analyzing data to predict athlete performance, improve skills and strategies as well as prevent player injuries,” said Dr. Wanyong Choi, SDA Lab director and assistant professor of sport management. “Our students will gain valuable experience working with SMT and their advanced data technologies.”

The new SDA Lab within UNF’s College of Education and Human Services opened in fall 2020. The lab analyzes data from both on-field athletics performance analytics and off-field sport business analytics. Learn more about the UNF SDA Lab. 

SMT is the leading innovator and supplier of real-time data delivery and graphics solutions for the sports and entertainment industries and provides clients with cutting-edge storytelling tools to enhance their live sports and entertainment productions. The 33-time Emmy Award-winning company is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with divisions in Jacksonville, Florida; Fremont, California; London, England; Toronto, Canada; and Munich, Germany.

Fountains Residence Hall students will still have open access to the tennis courts when data collection is not in progress.