NFL Announces Ninth Annual Big Data Bowl Powered by AWS

The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is open. Finalists will present at the 2027 NFL Scouting Combine, competing for a shared prize of $100,000.

For the first time, this year's competition combines NFL Scouting Combine data with in-game player tracking data, asking participants to identify which pre-draft measurements and traits are most closely tied to NFL success. The dataset covers five position groups: wide receivers, tight ends, defensive backs, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen, with player-tracking data from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 NFL Combines alongside in-game data from the same players.

Entering our ninth-annual competition, we are continuing to elevate the Big Data Bowl by giving participants the opportunity to evaluate current and former NFL Draft prospects, says Mike Lopez, Senior Director of Football Data and Analytics, NFL. The competition will uncover new insights into what drives success at the professional level while providing the sports analytics community the opportunity to advance the game of football.

The Big Data Bowl has always been about pushing the boundaries of what's possible with football data, and this year's competition takes that mission even further, says Ari Entin, Head of Sports Marketing, AWS. And as with every Big Data Bowl, we're putting data directly into the hands of the analytics community, this year asking them to bridge the college and pro game for the first time, uncovering how talent translates from Saturdays to Sundays.

Entries are open in two tracks: an Undergraduate/Graduate Track open to current students only, and an Open Track for all others. A mentorship program connecting participants with NFL and industry analysts is also available. AWS and the NFL will host five regional student events: London (October 9), Paris (October 21), New York (November 10), and Mexico City (November 18-20). The series launched in Rio de Janeiro on September 23.

Since the competition's debut in 2018, more than 75 participants have secured sports analytics roles at NFL teams.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/10/08/nfl-announces-ninth-annual-big-...
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