Michael Lopez

Michael Lopez is the senior director of football data and analytics at the National Football League, where he leads initiatives in sports analytics focused on competitiveness, pace, officiating, and player health and safety. Lopez applies data-driven strategies to enhance understanding of the game, integrating academic research with practical applications in professional football.

Before joining the NFL, Lopez earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Bates College, a master's degree in statistics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a doctorate in biostatistics from Brown University. He served at Skidmore College as an assistant professor, lecturer, and research associate, specializing in statistical modeling and sports analytics. Lopez has contributed articles on sports data to FiveThirtyEight, Sports Illustrated, Deadspin, and Hockey News. He is an associate editor at the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, with academic research interests in causal inference and the application of statistics to sports.

Lopez created the Big Data Bowl, an annual NFL competition that releases player tracking data and challenges participants to develop analytical solutions to football-related themes. The event has become a prominent fixture in sports analytics, driving research and serving as a talent pipeline for the league. Lopez's research on fourth-down decision-making, co-authored with Derrick Yam, used causal inference frameworks to analyze NFL coaching strategies and has influenced in-game decision-making across teams.

Lopez has received recognition from the American Statistical Association with the Statistics in Sports Significant Contributor Award and has been included on The Athletic's NFL 40 Under 40 list. He is a frequent speaker on data science and professional football, appearing on podcasts and public forums to discuss topics such as Next Gen Stats player-tracking technology and the evolving role of analytics in NFL competition. Lopez continues to shape the league's approach to analytics by providing data-driven insights to coaches, executives, and fans.