Mapping Academic Sports Analytics: A Content Analysis of JQAS and JSA
Abstract
Sports analytics has expanded rapidly in professional sports and mainstream culture, yet defining its academic core remains a challenge. In this paper, we provide an empirical map of the academic sports analytics landscape based on a systematic content analysis of approximately 700 papers published in two leading dedicated journals, the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports (JQAS) and the Journal of Sports Analytics (JSA), between the years 2005 and 2024. We classify each paper by sport discipline, mathematical method, and core research area, identify recurring themes, and examine macro trends. We find game tactics, player evaluation, team ranking, result forecasting, and tournament design to be the most studied research areas in sports analytics. We highlight selected papers in each area, illustrating the wide range of mathematical methods used and sports disciplines analyzed. Our work offers a comprehensive overview of the questions, methods, and disciplines that characterize the field, serving as a foundational reference for practitioners and researchers in sports analytics.
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BibTeX
@misc{nathaniel2026mapping,
title = {{Mapping Academic Sports Analytics: A Content Analysis of JQAS and JSA}},
author = {Adam Nathaniel},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.32354},
eprint = {2610.32354},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.32354},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Mapping Academic Sports Analytics: A Content Analysis of JQAS and JSA
AU - Adam Nathaniel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.32354
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.32354
AB - Sports analytics has expanded rapidly in professional sports and mainstream culture, yet defining its academic core remains a challenge. In this paper, we provide an empirical map of the academic sports analytics landscape based on a systematic content analysis of approximately 700 papers published in two leading dedicated journals, the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports (JQAS) and the Journal of Sports Analytics (JSA), between the years 2005 and 2024. We classify each paper by sport discipline, mathematical method, and core research area, identify recurring themes, and examine macro trends. We find game tactics, player evaluation, team ranking, result forecasting, and tournament design to be the most studied research areas in sports analytics. We highlight selected papers in each area, illustrating the wide range of mathematical methods used and sports disciplines analyzed. Our work offers a comprehensive overview of the questions, methods, and disciplines that characterize the field, serving as a foundational reference for practitioners and researchers in sports analytics.
ER -