The Wi-Fi Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is well behind us now but I just came across some data that seemed very interesting to me. Levi Stadium, host of Super Bowl 50, provides free wi-fi to the fans in attendance. While that's not unusual, how much data traveled through the wi-fi is. 10.1 terabytes of data were used over the course of the game. That's enough for over 6,000 hours of HD video. Also, it crushed the previous record that was set last season at 6.23 terabytes. This just goes to show how rapidly technology is spreading throughout world and how much the fans are invested in it.

http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/02/12/super-bowl-50-set-data-record-by-halftime/

Purdue's new Fund Raising

Usually when college athletic departments require money they seek donations from alumni. Purdue is trying a new technique however. Purdue University is using CrowdFund to try and fund renovations to their basketball arena. CrowdFund is an online service that allows anyone to start their own fund or donate to a fund they see fit. Purdue is hoping that by using CrowdFund they will be able to receive money from fans that are less willing to donate than alumni due to not knowing exactly where the money is going. This site allows donors to see where their money is directly going to and they can feel more comfortable about pledging money to their school's athletics. If this is successful it could become a new trend around the NCAA to raise money.

http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/03/07/purdue-athletics-department-may-have-just-started-an-interesting-crowdfunding-trend-in-college-sports/

NHL Tries an Old School Test

Concussions are a serious concern for any athlete involved in contact sports. With all the new technology available testing for concussions has become more regulated and provides more care for the athletes involved. The NHL though isn't looking ahead for new tests, they actually took a page from the past. The King-Devick test is a test that has been around for 40 years and was typically used to test for reading disabilities in children. The NHL is planning to use the test as a way to quickly evaluate players for concussion like symptoms. Though the test is may years old there will be a new school twist thrown into it. While the test is being taken, eye tracking technology will follow the players eye movements and will red flag when there is something out of the ordinary. The use of this test shows that, while all this new technology is great, there are sometimes much simpler ways to accomplish a goal.

New Technologies at the NFL Combine

The NFL combine is often mocked by some as having no direct relation to how a player will compete at the professional level. While some parts of the combine could still be argued to be useless, there is still some value to be found and with new technologies being integrated I believe the effectiveness of combine scouting will increase significantly. One new invention being used is virtual reality. STRIVR is a virtual reality program that tracks the wearers eye movements and is most commonly used to track a QB's football IQ and see how they react to different situations. This will be a key scouting feature that can help determine a QB's NFL readiness and determine how likely they are to be able to make an immediate impact. Another new piece of equipment that's under evaluation is a Kitman Labs creation. It is a specialized camera that tracks players movements through drills and determines if any body part is at risk of possible injury. That is information every team will be able to use so they don't draft a player that will later suffer any season or career ending injuries. There's many new technologies being used by teams to determine the draftablilty of players, so expect the world of scouting players to change drastically as the evolution continues.

http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/02/23/nfl-combine-to-get-a-much-needed-high-tech-facelift/

Line Shortening Technology in Detroit

WaitTime is a new up and coming app that has a sole purpose of letting fans know how long lines for concessions or rest rooms around an arena or stadium are. The Detroit Pistons are the first major sports team to fully embrace this new technology. Not only can fans view the wait times through the phone app, but there are also 30 signs located around the seating sections that get updated in real time. The app is one of a kind based on how in depth it is and the fact that it is not limited to only mobile phone users. I believe WaitTime will become very popular after this trial run with the Pistons and will eventually become a staple at events across the country.

http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/03/16/detroit-pistons-become-first-team-to-implement-line-shortening-technology/