Overview
The AQX Sports Analytics Data Bowl 4.0 is a free, fully virtual, open-source hackathon for people interested in sports analytics, programming, and data science. Hosted on Devpost and organized by Devpost, Inc., the competition asks participants to build a project centered on sports analytics using any professional sport they choose. The page gives examples such as predicting the next NBA MVP, building an algorithm to optimize fantasy football success, or analyzing MLB swing mechanics using Statcast.
Dates and Deadline
The event is listed with a start date of October 18, 2026. Submissions close on November 1, 2026 at 12:00am PDT. The page also includes a schedule view for participants who want more detailed timing information.
Who Can Participate
The competition is open to students who are above the legal age of majority in their country of residence. Companies and professional organizations are excluded from participation. Participation is open to all countries and territories, excluding standard exceptions. The full rules are available on the page.
What to Build
Participants may create a software application, web application, interactive dashboard, or predictive model. Every project must use some form of sports data, such as player tracking, team statistics, sports business metrics, or injury data, to produce analytical insights that address a sports-based problem. Projects unrelated to sports analytics will not be judged or acknowledged. Projects submitted to previous AQX Sports Analytics Data Bowls are not accepted and will result in disqualification.
What to Submit
Each submission should include a working prototype, public source code hosted on GitHub, and a short project description that explains the solution, its features, and its actionable impact. A video demo is not required, although participants may include one if they wish.
Judging Criteria
- Practical Application: Whether a coach, front office, or athlete could benefit from the findings, and whether the project addresses a real gap such as improving player performance, reducing injury risk, or enhancing game strategy.
- Analytical Insight: How deeply the project explores the data, how statistically sound the methods are, and how accurate the modeling is. Actionable insights are favored over surface-level statistics.
- Data Presentation: How clearly the data is communicated through visualizations, dashboards, and charts, and how well the participant pitches discoveries to an audience that may not be technical.
Prizes
The page lists $50 in cash and more than $50 in total prizes, along with other prizes. First place includes honors and a $50 Amazon Gift Card (pending), which applies if the competition receives over 100 submissions. Second and third place each receive recognition, and two honorable mentions will be awarded.
Participation Details
The page shows 64 participants and is tagged as Beginner Friendly, with related tags for Databases and Gaming. The event is fully online.
Contact and Community
Participants with questions can email the hackathon manager. The page also includes an option to invite others to compete.
