That’s a good question. It is in the process of being defined, and the first course offered this spring (and a related student SI club) is going to attempt to do just that.
Informatics is a multi-domain science that deals with the explosion of information (i.e. Moore’s Law). It has several areas of study that fall under that larger umbrella: human-computer interaction design, security, music, biology, chemistry, social informatics, complexity, data mining. Sports Informatics will likely include aspects of data mining (“Moneyball” stuff), design (for fans, players and coaches), fantasy sports (one of my main interests, having been doing this kind of thing since 1985) and social impact (i.e. Richard Lapchick).
Starting next year, Indiana University will be offering it as an undergraduate cognate for their Informatics program, but the hope is that it will evolve quickly into its own degree. IU is particularly well-positioned for this with close ties to the Indianapolis Colts, the Pacers, Dallas Mavericks (Mark Cuban is an alum), and the NCAA — Myles Brand, though rightfully villified down here for his handling of the Bob Knight situation, was the force behind establishing Informatics in the first place (and is now head of the organization headquartered in Indy).
