The use of wearable and performance technology has grown rapidly in society and collegiate athletics. These devices range from wrist-worn activity trackers to GPS systems, camera-based trackers, bat sensors, and even sweat lactate patches. Despite the increase in usage, there is limited information on the scale of adoption in collegiate sports or on the types of devices and data being collected.
During the Spring 2025 semester, Dr. Coffey completed a sabbatical project in collaboration with the NCAA Sports Science Institute (SSI) to examine wearable and performance technology use in collegiate athletics. In May 2025, he was invited to speak at the NCAA SSI Performance Technology Summit. His talk, titled “The current landscape of wearable and performance technology in collegiate sports,” addressed categories of devices, the types of performance and biometric data collected, and the ways this data is being used in decision-making.
Dr. Coffey highlighted concerns about data validity and reliability, as well as observed side effects, particularly the potential negative impacts on student-athlete mental health. He proposed a student-centered approach to data collection that prioritizes athlete well-being.
Participants from the summit are now collaborating to refine consensus statements on best practices for using performance technology in collegiate sports. These statements aim to guide ethical and responsible collection and use of student-athlete data. Dr. Coffey is also pursuing several projects that build on this summit, with updates to be shared as his research progresses.