Basketball analytics platform ShotTracker has partnered with the Mountain West Conference to provide data tracking and analytics services during all basketball games through the 2023-24 season. The Mountain West is the first NCAA conference to partner with ShotTracker.
ShotTracker will install its system across 23 practice and game facilities at all 11 Mountain West schools for both men’s and women’s basketball programs. Each student-athlete will wear a ShotTracker player sensor embedded into their jersey and play with ShotTracker-enabled basketballs. The sensors track player and ball movement, providing Mountain West programs with statistics via the ShotTracker app.
“Our student-athletes will have access to post-practice and game analytics data that can help them better understand their specific performance and help them find ways to improve. Plus, Mountain West fans will, for the first time, have access to real-time analytics to better follow their favorite teams,” said Dan Butterly, Mountain West senior associate commissioner, in a press release.
The NCAA does not permit the transmission of data to the bench during gameplay. However, the Mountain West has submitted a waiver request to the NCAA competition committee asking for permission to use ShotTracker’s data and video on the bench during conference games. Last October, the NCAA granted a similar waiver to allow access for coaches to the ShotTracker analytics dashboard during the 2018 Hall of Fame Classic.
ShotTracker ran a pilot program with the Mountain West during select regular season basketball games in 2018-19. The system was also implemented at the 2019 Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championship.
“One big initiative on my end right now is working to get the NCAA, and those who are currently making the decisions on future rules and use of technology in the game of college basketball, to understand that this would benefit college basketball. Not be in a situation that we are not using technology because people are scared of it,” Butterly said in April on the SportTechie podcast.