The University of Minnesota is working to manage its athletic department budget in the face of rising college sports costs. To do this, the Gophers athletic department has developed a data-driven system to help determine the market value of athletes. This system was built using ideas borrowed from local professional sports teams, including the Vikings, Wolves, and Wild.

The goal of the system is to maximize the department's limited budget. Further details on how the system works and its impact on the university's athletic department are available from the Star Tribune.