Every year, the Sport Innovation Institute at IU Indianapolis deepens its footprint in the sport ecosystem; 2025 took on new life. This was the year our team fully embraced Custom Built for Indy Sport not just as a tagline, but as a technical philosophy. While many are still wondering which jobs AI will replace, we spent the year exploring how AI-supported systems, data pipelines, and software can unlock efficiencies and chart new territory for our sport client partners.  

 We’re engineering deeply customized tools and insights built around the actual needs of sport partners, not generic off-the-shelf solutions. From ticketing intelligence to digitized event management traditions, from tech startups to internal research pipelines, the common thread is an intentionality toward a new level of customization.  

Below is a look at how 2025 unfolded through that lens. 

EVMM Partners: Redefining Ticketing Intelligence Through Cloud Architecture and Visualization 

Our partnership with EVMM Partners, ticket sales consultants for the NCAA, Pittsburgh Pirates and beyond, has long pushed us technically, and this year was no exception. We built, orchestrated, and deployed a brand new Azure environment to power EVMM’s next generation data pipelines. This wasn’t just cloud migration; it was cloud architecture designed for automation, data share, and real-time ticketing insights. 

On top of that foundation, we developed interactive stadium-map visualizations in Tableau that reveal revenue performance by seat block at a single click. Entire sections of stadiums can now be evaluated, compared, and acted upon. This is exactly the kind of work that demonstrates where AI-adjacent automation meets human strategic decision-making, and how our team can bring both together for Indy’s benefit. 

Horizon League: Sponsorship Tracking Reimagined 

When the Horizon League needed a more tailored way to track sponsorship performance and deliver insights to their athletic director membership, they turned to us for purpose-built solutions. We developed a sponsorship-tracking software system that integrates seamlessly with their internal workflows. The membership dashboards, the first of their kind for the league, support budgeting and financial planning. This spring we will standardize how data flows from campus to the conference office. This is what Custom Built for Indy Sport looks like: not forcing sport organizations to adapt to technology, but building technology that respects the realities of their operations. 

NCAA Digital Event Manual: Preserving Institutional Memory Through Technology 

We were honored to be contracted by NCAA Senior Vice President JoAn Scott to develop a digital event manual for March Madness. This manual ensures that the Local Organizing Committee can carry forward the legacy of operational excellence year after year. Codifying processes into a digital, interactive guide is another perfect example of how technology preserves institutional memory, not replaces it. 

Jagalytics: Students Fueling On-Field Decision-Making 

Of course, one of the most energizing initiatives remains Jagalytics, our collaborative player analytics project with the IU Indianapolis women’s basketball team. Students are collecting and visualizing player performance data throughout practices and games, producing dashboards and insights that coaches use to enhance team strategy. This is where the SII mission shines loudest: empowering students to use advanced analytics for real sport impact in their own backyard. 

SQQ: Engineering the Backend for a Sports-Tech Startup 

We also expanded our work in the startup space. SQQ, a company focused on digital meet-and-greet experiences with celebrities and center stage athletes, needed technical infrastructure for a new registration system. We engineered the backend so the startup could focus on moving their system forward. This project reflects a growing trend: sport-tech startups in Indy needing real engineering support to launch or scale their ideas. We’re proud to be part of that pipeline. 

NCAA Transfer Portal Research: Leveling Up the Data Pipeline 

Our ongoing research into NCAA Transfer Portal behavior took a major step forward with a fully rebuilt data pipeline and database architecture inside our Azure environment. With partners like Wake Forest and colleagues across the country, we’re examining what happens when an athlete transfers. This infrastructure now supports year-to-year tracking, deeper analytics, and broader collaboration across universities. Again, efficiency plus insight.  

Data Skrive: Smarter Marketing Campaigns Through Redesigned Cohorts 

This fall, we initiated our partnership with Data Skrive, a sports-tech leader in automated content generation. This year’s contribution meant beginning the process to redesign their cohort model so that fans receive electronic campaigns better aligned with what resonates with them. By analyzing user profiles and behavior, we are contributing to a more targeted, effective message delivery.  

Re-Launching the Indy Sports Poll 

This year we re-engaged the Indy Sports Poll, a survey dedicated to measuring the heartbeat of sport in Indianapolis: its sports fandom, loyalties, and evolving engagement. In a city that lives and breathes athletic competition, the poll is a reflection of our identity. We’re modernizing how the poll collects data, upgrading how insights are produced, and ensuring those insights guide conversations about sport growth across the city. Indy’s sport passion has always been world class and we will have the process to measure it.  

Narrative Research: Smarter Sentiment Analysis Through Custom NLP 

In the world of digital fitness equipment reviews, separating positive and negative sentiments within the same user review, especially reviews without punctuation, is a challenge. We tackled this head-on through custom review-splitting logic, refined sentiment scoring, and topic modeling that identifies which themes most closely align with positive and negative experiences. 

This work demonstrates our growing expertise in public narrative research, and the broader value of technical craftsmanship. AI models are powerful, but they become truly meaningful when customized for specific goals.  

Indy Chamber of Commerce: Web-Scraping Organizational Structures to Illuminate Gender Representation in Sport 

One of our newest partnerships, born in late 2025, focuses on web-scraping organizational structure charts to examine gender ratios in sport organizations in Indianapolis and across the United States. With the Indy Chamber of Commerce, we are uncovering quantifiable insights on representation and leadership distribution in the Indy sports ecosystem. This project combines our technical capacity with our commitment to the Indiana Sports Corp 2050 Vision, two values important to the SII mission. 

Looking Ahead: Custom Built for Indy Sport  

When I reflect on this year, one pattern continued to emerge: with AI acceleration, the days of one-size fits all sport tech opportunities are numbered. Customers can expect customization in a different and more exciting way. The IU Indianapolis Sport Innovation Institute is committed to pressing the boundaries.  

2025 is only the beginning.  

To all of our partners, thank you. Your trust fuels our innovation. Cheers to a 2026 where Indy leads the globe in sport innovation, one custom built solution at a time.