The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry leading Texas athletics’ new AI initiative

October 24, 2026 - 00:35

The University of Texas is moving ahead with a new artificial intelligence data analytics platform for its athletic department, an announcement that comes shortly after Washington State Athletics faced widespread backlash over its own partnership with an AI-powered storytelling company. The earlier criticism did not appear to slow Texas down. On Friday, athletic director Chris Del Conte introduced Bevo Lab, describing the project in enthusiastic terms and calling it earth-shattering for the program.

The platform is designed to bring data analytics into the daily work of Texas athletics, giving staff and coaches another tool for evaluating performance and operations. Kirk Goldsberry, known for his work in basketball analytics and writing, is leading the new initiative. His role places him at the center of an effort to build a formal analytics operation inside one of the country's most prominent athletic departments.

The launch reflects a growing willingness among college sports programs to invest in AI and data-driven systems, even as some schools have drawn scrutiny for how they adopt such technology. Texas appears set on treating the effort as a long-term commitment rather than a one-off experiment. Details on staffing, budget and specific use cases were not fully outlined in the initial announcement, but the department framed Bevo Lab as a significant step forward. The project is expected to develop over time as the department expands its analytics capabilities and integrates new tools into recruiting, performance and administrative decisions.