For 20 years, Champion Gaming brands EdjSports and Football Outsiders have pioneered leveraging data and analytics to create stronger on-field decision making

Champion Gaming Group Inc., the “Moneyball of Sports Wagering” and the new corporate head of EdjSports and Football Outsiders, announced the development of The Historical NFL Coaches Aggressiveness Index. This coincides with the 20th anniversary of the advent of predictive data and analytics with the creation of EdjSports and Football Outsiders. The Index compares how often coaches attempt to gain a first down in different fourth down situations against the historical average (measured at 1.0) of how often coaches have tried to convert on fourth down in those situations in the past.

“In looking back on 20 years of coaching decisions, it’s clear that the presence and acceptance of data and analytics has empowered a new generation of coaches to rethink conventional wisdom on fourth down situations,” said Aaron Schatz, editor-in-chief of Football Outsiders. “In looking at the Aggressiveness Index in the aggregate by year, it’s exceptionally clear that the 2018 Super Bowl win by the Philadelphia Eagles is the catalyst for more teams looking towards analytics to reduce risk and increase win probabilities.”

Football Outsiders, founded in 2001 by Schatz, is one of the preeminent and most trusted football analytics and content sites. Football Outsiders creates in-depth NFL and NCAA advanced statistics including its proprietary DVOA and DYAR ratings. Founded in 2013 by Sean O’Leary and Frank Frigo, EdjSports empowers smarter decision-making with proven predictive and prescriptive analytical models and custom software solutions for the sports industry. EdjSports acquired Football Outsiders in 2018.

“In today’s NFL, the common fan is comfortable in hearing and understanding predictability outcomes like success rates on long field goals, winning percentage in adverse weather and a coach’s success of “going for it” on fourth down based on specific field position and time in the game,” said Frigo, Champion Gaming’s Chief Innovation Officer and co-founder of EdjSports. “However, 20 years ago, football data didn’t move past player stats. Given the situational and strategic nature of football, we saw an opportunity to use data and analytics to develop predictive outcomes to allow for smarter on-field decision making and a reduction in situational risk.”

Both EdjSports and Football Outsiders were acquired by Champion Gaming in 2021.

“For the past two decades, EdjSports and Football Outsiders have been at the vanguard of sports data and analytics and this new ‘Aggressiveness Index’ is just one of the many unique and proprietary products we have developed through our world class analytics teams,” said Ken Hershman, CEO of Champion Gaming. “At Champion Gaming, it’s our mission to become the most trusted destination for the sports wagering industry. Through the path that Edj and Football Outsiders have been able to forge, we’ll be developing new sports wagering content and products beyond football, to bring to sports bettors and media the most engaging and cutting edge content, tools and analytics in the marketplace.”