Sports Analytics Students Shape UFL Regulations and Tactics Through Strategic Impact
The United Football League (UFL) has made a groundbreaking move by partnering with the David B. Falk College of Sport at Syracuse University to develop a unique analytic tool – the QB Decision Score model. This innovative model, created by seven sport analytics majors, aims to assess and project quarterback performance in professional football.
During the 2025 season, Austin Ambler and Danny Baris, two of the students involved, worked tirelessly to develop this model. The QB Decision Score determines if a quarterback made the right passing decision based on the predicted expected points added (EPA) of each receiver on the play.
The UFL officials, including Operations Manager Bryan Kilmeade, Senior Vice President of Technology Scott Harniman, and Vice President of Football Technology Brad Campbell, were impressed with the speed and effectiveness of the model. In fact, many of the data analysis models created by the students were elevated to the teams and their coaches during the season.
The students' work was displayed at the Tech Suite, and film producer and UFL co-owner Dany Garcia was one of the many dignitaries who were impressed by their presentation. The QB Decision Score was put to the test during the UFL's championship weekend in mid-June, where the DC Defenders won the title, defeating the Michigan Panthers 58-34.
This partnership between the UFL and the Falk College of Sport marked the first time an American college or university worked with the nation's premier spring football league. The collaboration not only provided the students with real-world experience but also gave the UFL access to cutting-edge analytical tools.
Russ Brandon, the UFL's President and CEO, is a member of the Falk College of Sport Advisory Board. Francesco Riverso, the Director of Corporate Partnerships and External Engagement at the David B. Falk College of Sport, played a crucial role in facilitating this partnership.
The Falk College of Sport students gained new technical skills and abilities by learning new techniques to accomplish their projects. One such project involved creating a metric called the "QB Decision Score" to quantify quarterback decision-making. This hands-on experience will undoubtedly benefit these students in their future careers in sports analytics.
The UFL has a strong relationship with the NFL and may eventually adopt the students' models. As the world of sports analytics continues to evolve, partnerships like this one between the UFL and the Falk College of Sport are paving the way for a more data-driven future in professional football.
The unique analytic tool – the QB Decision Score model, created by the students, is not limited to professional football but can also be applied to sports like American football. Austin Ambler and Danny Baris, two of the students, showcased the effectiveness of the QB Decision Score in American football, providing insights that could potentially revolutionize its quarterback performance analysis.
