Each year, The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) conducts a “Love Data Week” Data Visualization Championship during the week of Valentine’s Day.
Students and faculty at Ohio State and other BTAA institutions participate during this competition and show off their Data Visualization skills in hopes of winning the BTAA Data Visualization Championship. Key details are available in the sections below. Check out the BTAA website for more information.
2026 BTAA Dataset Theme
Drumroll...If you haven’t already scrolled down and checked out the dataset link, the 2026 Data Visualization Championship dataset theme is College Fight Songs!
Participating as a Student:
Students are required to work with the designated dataset selected by BTAA. The 2026 dataset is available in CSV format through FiveThirtyEight’s GitHub repository. While traditional visualizations such as bar charts, scatter plots, and heat maps are recommended, students are also encouraged to think creatively in how they present the data to emphasize key insights. Final visualizations will be evaluated based on their design and presentation quality, clarity of message, originality and innovation, and how effectively they communicate insights to the intended audience.
Additional guidance:
- Visualizations must be shared through a link that is publicly accessible—no login should be required during the voting or judging period.
- Teamwork is encouraged! All participants should be acknowledged, with one person designated as the lead presenter.
- Let your creativity shine and enjoy the process!
Participating as Faculty and Staff:
Faculty and staff are evaluated using the same criteria as student participants and may utilize similar visualization formats. Creativity is highly encouraged to showcase data storytelling and visualization expertise. Participants may choose to work with data from any institution within BTAA, focusing on any theme of interest—such as athletics, enrollment trends, or other institutional topics.
Submissions may include original visualizations or previously developed ones used at your institution. These can reflect broad institutional insights or highlight specific programs, initiatives, or populations.
Additional guidance:
- All entries must comply with institutional data usage policies and guidelines.
- Visualizations must be accessible via a public link that does not require login during the judging period.
- Faculty and staff may collaborate; all contributors should be acknowledged, with one individual designated as the lead presenter.
Submitting 2026 Entries and Questions:
The deadline for entries is Friday, January 16, 2026. Please send your submissions and questions to the OTDI Data Visualization team.