The NCAA announced Monday that it has reached a 10-year data collection and distribution deal with Genius Sports, a sports data and technology company headquartered in London.
The deal was announced before the Supreme Court released a decision Monday morning that opened paths for expanded legal sports betting in the United States.
The partnership will focus on capturing, managing and distributing real-time data and statistics from the three NCAA divisions and selected championship events. The technology will be rolled out for the men's and women's basketball tournaments in 2019 and subsequently used for additional NCAA sports, including baseball, football, soccer and softball. The software will be offered to NCAA member institutions at no cost for an introductory period, according to a release announcing the deal.
"This digital transition comes at a time when data for all intercollegiate sports are increasingly important to our fans, our institutions and our partners," Oliver Luck, executive vice president of regulatory affairs and strategic partnerships for the NCAA, said in the release. "This initiative will transform the way we collect, use, and distribute the vast amount of sports data being consumed across all sports at every level. It will allow our schools to upgrade to state-of-the-art technology."
Genius Sports also has partnerships with Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour and the Premier League.
One of Genius Sports' subsidiaries, Betgenius, offers services to betting operators in the United States and internationally, including a sportsbook management platform and digital marketing. The partnership with the NCAA does not include any betting rights, a Genius Sports spokesperson told ESPN.
"This technology will deliver a world-class experience for NCAA fans, coaches, players, athletic directors and administrators alike," Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, said in the release. "We're delighted to be playing a pivotal role in the NCAA's digital transformation, implementing one of the most advanced technology systems in sports."
NCAA members Marshall and West Virginia have participated in discussions in the state of West Virginia regarding the legalization of sports betting. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Marshall and West Virginia are looking to be compensated for any additional compliance costs they believe legalized sports betting will cause.