Landing a job in the NFL by winning the $100,000 Big Data Bowl: 'Anyone with ball knowledge or coding skills can apply'

The NFL's toughest competition doesn't occur on a football field.

For the seventh year, the Big Data Bowl, powered by Amazon Web Services, will invite data scientists and analytics experts to compete against each other.

The NFL's Big Data Bowl aims to condense the vast amounts of data gathered from each player during every game into statistics and insights that can benefit the league and its teams. Since its inception in 2018, the competition has served as a valuable platform for teams to discover promising talent to join their front offices.

"The NFL's senior director of football data and analytics, Mike Lopez, explains to CNBC Make It that not only do teams receive the ideas, but they also have access to a pipeline of talented analytics staffers who can join their teams."

The competition this year requires participants to utilize data gathered prior to the ball being snapped to forecast the actions of an offense or defense during a specific play.

Lopez states that most historical analysis in the NFL has focused on events after the snap. However, the insights gained from this year's applicants could be highly beneficial for players and coaches seeking a competitive advantage.

NFL front offices have hired more than 50 Big Data Bowl participants, and there's a cash prize at stake.

The top five teams will receive $12,500 each and an invitation to present their work at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. The top team will win an additional $12,500. Teams six through ten will receive $5,000 each.

"Lopez describes the NFL Combine as a science fair-like opportunity to showcase his work and answer questions to data analysts. For many, it's akin to their first interview."

The deadline for submissions to be graded anonymously by NFL volunteers is January 6. The top applicants will then appear at the Combine in late February.

Several years ago, a Japanese married couple who had never watched football before became finalists in the Big Data Bowl.

In 2020, a pair of Austrian data scientists won by applying their knowledge from biological sciences to NFL rushing plays.

"Lopez explains that the team pairs up talented coders with former football coaches who may not be proficient in coding but have a strong understanding of the sport. These individuals can collaborate on a submission, and there is no specific subtype that teams are looking for. The team has had success with both Ph.D.'s in analytical fields from top schools and undergraduates."

"Anyone who knows ball or can code has a chance, he says."

The Big Data Bowl competition is happening this year and you can learn more about it and enter here.

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