Putting data-driven decision making into practice requires the use of consistent and reliable data that are easily accessible. The systematic collection and maintenance of accurate information is an important component in developing policy and evaluating outcomes. Since 1982, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been collecting injury and exposure data from a sample of member institutions through the Injury Surveillance System (ISS). These data inform policy decisions made by NCAA committees and external organizations charged with overseeing the health and safety of student athletes. These data also provide individual institutions with injury information for campus-based evaluations of student athletes' welfare.
The ISS example in this chapter illustrates how data-driven decision making can be applied to other aspects of intercollegiate athletics. The ISS demonstrates how elements such as variable definitions and sampling schemes are key features for developing longitudinal data sets that can be used to inform decision making and evaluate the impact of policy change. The chapter also describes the challenges and trade-offs of data collection based largely on voluntary cooperation among member institutions.