OREANDA-NEWS. February 09, 2016. We’ve got a creaky star quarterback competing in what might be his last championship versus a future MVP who is 13 years younger, likes to score and loves to dance. We’ve got two of the league’s most punishing defenses. We’ve got rabbis in Carolina and Denver talking trash.

Come on, is it really possible to make the most popular sport in America more interesting?

The answer is definitely, “Yes.” The reason is data – the kind that wasn’t obtainable before and can now be collected and analyzed in new ways.

Here’s a look at some of football’s new tech. Some of it will be available on the field in Santa Clara on Super Bowl Sunday, some of it won’t. But it’s all pretty cool:

Shoulder Pad Sensors

Few fans are aware that Zebra RFID (radio frequency identification) sensors are embedded in every NFL player’s shoulder pads. These sensors interact with twenty receivers placed around the stadium to transmit data on variables such as the distance and speed a player runs and the route he takes. According to Zebra, it only takes two seconds for the data to be received, analyzed, and delivered to team staff and commentators. Fans have already seen the data used to add color to television broadcasts and they can access the data directly via the NFL app on Xbox One and Windows 10. Zebra has built algorithms that can help measure player performance, determine the efficacy of specific plays, and measure EXACTLY what is going on on the field. Going forward, teams will use this data to improve and customize their training programs for individual players and the league will use it to refine its statistical records.

This technology stands to elevate the condition of the players and the level of football strategy and execution that fans see in coming seasons.

Next-Generation Networks

Countless fans have experienced the frustration of overloaded networks at a stadium – text messages don’t go through, Facebook won’t load, and sports commentary and crucial statistics are simply unavailable. With mobile devices becoming increasingly powerful and applications becoming more sophisticated, the strain on stadium networks is sure to increase exponentially over time. According to Extreme Networks, fans using its Wi-Fi networks at NFL stadiums consumed an average of 4 terabytes per game, compared to 1 terabyte two seasons ago. The intense data demands require specially architected Wi-Fi networks. Extreme is providing NFL stadiums with both Wi-Fi network coverage and analytics capabilities that have never been available before. Their analytics platform, Purview, gives stadium IT organizations the ability to identify the websites and applications generating the data, optimize the network for those applications, and identify potential security risks. Plus, understanding how their networks are being used has given NFL teams the ability to monetize their Wi-Fi networks (via application-driven merchandising and concession sales) while improving the game day experience for football fans who want to share their experiences via social media and stay connected with friends and family who didn’t score tickets to the game.

Teams around the country are testing out solutions that rely on connectivity and data to enhance the fan experience. Lucky for Super Bowl attendees, host site Levi’s Stadium ranked first among NFL stadiums in mobile network data performance. 

Smart Footballs

Wilson’s sensor- and Bluetooth-enabled smart football made its debut at CES this year. The ball records what the eye can’t see in a 30-yard completion, such the ball’s speed, precise distance, and spiral efficiency, and sends those stats to a related app. Wilson is marketing the ball as a coaching tool that gives parents and coaches the ability to monitor an athlete’s development.

Smart footballs aren’t used in games – YET, but Wilson is also testing a sensor-studded football that would be game-ready and make real-time data available to referees and officials for more accurate calls. The football is being tested and refined. Wilson is hoping that the ball will become an NFL standard as early as 2021.

Preventing Concussions

There is growing public concern over the head injuries that football players sustain, and many fans have wondered what the impact will be to the future of the sport. One company, Riddell, who manufactures some of the most popular helmets used by NFL players, has created a helmet which has a sensor system that monitors hits based on location, duration, rotational acceleration, and linear acceleration. If an impact or series of impacts exceeds thresholds set by the coaching staff, then an alert is sent to the coach’s device with information about the player, the most recent impact, and any significant impacts over the last seven days. This data allows coaches to make immediate, well-informed decisions about which players should be removed from the game and it gives coaches an opportunity to adjust instruction to reduce head collisions.

It Is precisely technology like this that can preserve the tradition of football for the next generation of players and fans.

Many of these innovations only work if the data they’re producing can be efficiently gathered at the source and analyzed in real time, so it can be acted on immediately. That takes an advanced network and cloud strategy and the kind of interconnection Equinix excels at providing through an Interconnection Oriented Architecture™ (IOA™).

An IOA frees IT from corporate silos and moves it where data is created and end users can quickly access it. That means all the information streaming off players’ uniforms and equipment can be gathered and evaluated at the network edge, for immediate results. The Equinix Interconnection Platform™ delivers the tools to implement an IOA, including network and cloud density and a global footprint of 145 data centers, including seven in Silicon Valley right near the site of Super Bowl 50.

Learn more about an Interconnection Oriented Architecture. And enjoy the game!