America’s team is tackling America’s latest obsession, artificial intelligence.
“Our ownership group rarely talks about technology, but they, every one of them, wants to know our AI strategy,” Cowboys Chief Information Officer Matt Messick said in an interview. “Like the rest of the country, there is a keen interest in what it can do and how it will improve things.”
Like most IT professionals, Messick sees an immediate impact enhancing customer service and experience — especially on game day as fans order food and merchandise from their smartphones and watch instant replays on their devices. Beyond that, the possibilities are limitless: Game-planning by the coaching staff, in-game betting (once it is legalized in the state), and the drafting of players.
Of course, Messick finds himself in the same position as most IT pros: Ramping up to speed on AI in an era of hype, overinflated expectations, and nagging concerns around security and compliance. Plus, there are customers still reluctant to purchase food at human-less concession stands. But it is a challenge he is more than willing to take on.
“We are constantly thinking of how AI will not only change what we do but where it can take us,” said Messick, who works closely with tech vendors such as AT&T Inc., Cisco Systems Inc. and Lenovo. “The possibilities are truly exciting, and (owner) Jerry Jones is highly, highly engaged in the decision-making progress.” [Charlotte Jones Anderson, Jerry’s daughter and chief brand officer of the Cowboys, is a particularly close collaborator, Messick added.]
If it all sounds like pie-in-the-sky stuff, consider this: In the 1960s, the Cowboys were pioneers in the use of computers to grade chart college players for draft evaluations. The team’s Gil Brandt was widely recognized as the godfather of modern scouting. Then, in 2009, the team opened the gates on AT&T Stadium, its opulent, state-of-the-art palace with twin video scoreboards that are among the largest high-definition video screens in the world. And in the 2010s, it implemented a blur-fast 5G network at the stadium in Arlington, Tex. A data center rests in the bowels of the stadium to process it all.
The addition of AI is expected to first show up in a passel of Cisco products used by the Cowboys — collaboration tools like video-conferencing, devices, cybersecurity, enhanced contactless payments and stadium entry, and Wi-Fi infrastructure. The company on Wednesday introduced AI agents to ease customer-service aches and pains.
“They are bigger than a sports team,” Anurag Dhingra, Cisco’s senior vice president and general manager of collaboration, said in an interview. “They are a world-recognized brand, a larger merchandizer, and a franchise that tech experts can learn from.”
Indeed, CIOs from major sports teams, including football rivals, are making the trek to Texas to learn from the Cowboys’ IT team, according to Messick. [The visits are part of the time-honored tradition in sports where executives, coaches and players tap into the knowledge of competitors to learn new-fangled concepts usually associated with coaching strategy and athletic technique.]
What AI can do in terms of parsing data offers mind-bending possibilities for bolstering the roster, helping further monetize merchandise sales, and enriching the fan experience through things like camera-carrying drones that offer breathtaking views of the stadium.
In-game gambling offers the most upside, allowing bettors to lay wagers on a fast and reliable network, Messick said. “We have plans in place for that day when it comes,” he said.
The tech world is closely watching what the Cowboys do, particularly as it’s the world’s most-valuable sports franchise at $9 billion, according to Forbes.
On tap is: Working on the men’s World Cup in 2026, where matches will be held at AT&T Stadium, as well as an IndyCar race in 2026 via a partnership with baseball’s Texas Rangers. The race course will wind around both teams’ stadiums.
“It’s an exciting journey, and we’re thrilled to see where it leads us,” Messick said.