Stats Perform Partners with Pepperdine University to Power Sports AI Innovation and Talent Development
LONDON/MALIBU, Calif. - 29 October 2025 - Stats Perform, the leader in sports data and artificial intelligence, today announced a partnership with Pepperdine University's Keck Data Science Institute to launch a new academic-industry collaboration focused on building agentic AI innovations and applying generative modeling techniques to interact with, converse about, and understand sports like never before. The goal of this initiative is to advance innovation in sports technology while giving Pepperdine students real-world experience in the fast-growing field of sports AI.
The program, led by Professor Fabien Scalzo, will provide select juniors and seniors with a two-semester, for-credit internship that bridges classroom theory with real-world applications. Students in the inaugural Fall cohort will work directly with Stats Perform's Chief Innovation Officer, Christian Marko, and Chief Data Scientist, Dr. Patrick Lucey, providing a rare opportunity to collaborate with two of the industry's foremost experts.
"At Stats Perform, we've built the world's deepest and richest sports database, containing 7.2 petabytes of data," said Carl Mergele, CEO of Stats Perform. "We're pioneering the future of sports AI with over 645 patent assets, eight domain-specific foundation models, and more than 140 AI models powering innovation across the industry. This partnership bridges our industry-leading technology with the next generation of practitioners. Working directly with Pepperdine's exceptional students ensures fresh ideas and future leaders for an AI-driven sports ecosystem."
Students will dedicate 8-12 hours per week to projects that apply advanced AI and data science techniques to real-world sports technology challenges. They will also receive academic credit, further strengthening the connection between classroom learning and industry practice.
"This collaboration gives our students unparalleled, real-world experience, applying advanced AI to challenges at the forefront of sports technology," said Professor Scalzo. "By working directly with Stats Perform, they gain practical skills, industry exposure, and the confidence to thrive in an AI-native world."
Beyond internships, the partnership will expand to include capstone projects, new AI-focused courses, and potential technology incubators, creating a pipeline of innovation that connects Pepperdine's academic excellence with Stats Perform's global impact in sports.
