Elon University is rolling out PlayerData across nearly 200 athletes this year, outfitting football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and tennis programs. The decision came down to three things: value, function, and people. For a 17-sport athletics department competing in one of the most demanding mid-major conferences in the country, all three had to be right.

Dr. Nick DiMarco has been at the center of Elon's performance operation since 2018. A former NFL linebacker who played for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, he spent three years coaching strength and conditioning at the University of Iowa before joining Elon as Director of Strength and Conditioning. He has since earned two promotions, most recently to Assistant Athletic Director for Peak Performance, and built one of the most respected performance departments in the Coastal Athletic Association.

When it came time to evaluate a new GPS tracking provider this spring, he knew exactly what he was looking for. On the function side, DiMarco pointed to something every performance professional in multi-sport departments understands: the time cost of downloading data across a large roster is enormous. PlayerData eliminates it.

"Practice ends, then you download the GPS data one case at a time. PlayerData automatically syncs as long as you have a cell signal or internet connection. This cuts down a significant amount of time daily, especially when extrapolating this out across hundreds of athletes and multiple teams."

The unit assignment process has also been simplified. Switching a unit from one athlete to another now takes a QR code scan and a name selection. The digital display updates immediately.

"The days of needing label makers and an abundance of time to swap units are no longer," DiMarco says.

The value proposition proved just as clear. In the current landscape of Division I athletics, economic efficiency runs through every department decision.

"When looking to provide GPS tracking for our entire athletics program, PlayerData made the choice easy," DiMarco says. "Most GPS software companies continue to increase in price without an increase in the quality of the product or the service. PlayerData has focused entirely on maximizing the user experience and providing incredible service, while doing so at a price point that beats its competitors."

Ben Slingerland, PlayerData's Head of North America Sales, puts the broader market shift in context.

"Ten years ago, you could buy an LED TV for $3,000. Today, you can buy a quality LED TV for $300 with newer and better technology. The same thing has happened in the wearable technology industry."

But what sealed the decision was the people.

"The most important part of service is people. The folks at PlayerData are transparent in their pricing, consistently looking to improve the user experience and technology, and prompt if anything is needed. Everything starts with finding people you can trust, especially when spending a healthy amount of money for a multi-year commitment."

Elon joins a growing number of collegiate athletic departments that have done the evaluation and landed in the same place. Value, function, and people. When all three line up, the decision gets easy. That is the pattern PlayerData keeps seeing across college athletics, and it is exactly what Dr. DiMarco described.

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