About Versus Sports Simulator
Steve Pugh is the Founder of Versus Sports Simulator, a platform that uses proprietary mathematical models to rate sports teams and deliver data-driven game predictions. He holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Mathematics from Virginia Tech and is a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon National Honorary Mathematical Society.
“My goal is to put the tools into the hands of people to help them make better decisions.”
Widely regarded as a pioneer in sports analytics, Pugh began building his own computer-generated ratings systems in 2005, well before the rise of AI-driven models and the broader popularity of algorithmic forecasting in sports. What began as a side project fueled by his passion for math, programming, and sports quickly evolved into a nationally recognized system.
By December 2007, Pugh’s first NCAA College Football rankings were being published online under the name Compughter Ratings. The system continued to grow in both scope and accuracy, and in 2020 it was fully rebranded as Versus Sports Simulator to reflect its expanded capabilities and audience.
The product has earned national credibility over the years: it was featured in Phil Steele’s College Football Preview (2015), included in API World’s “API 300: The Top Industry Updates of 2019,” and since 2020, has been one of only two computer-based ranking systems used in the NAIA College Football Championship Series selection process.
After 25 years at Capital One, where he served as Director of Software Engineering, Pugh retired in 2023 to focus on Versus Sports Simulator full time. In his corporate career, he led large-scale engineering organizations, shaped technical strategy, and was known for his hands-on, people-first leadership style. Colleagues often described his “superpower” as the ability to coach through listening—asking powerful questions to inspire others to solve problems and make confident decisions.
That passion for thoughtful decision-making is at the heart of Versus Sports Simulator.
As legal sports betting expands across the U.S., more everyday fans are putting real money at stake. Versus wasn’t built to capitalize on that trend—it was built to serve it. The goal has always been to remove guesswork and provide data-informed, statistically sound insights that help people make smarter, more responsible choices. It’s the same drive that once made Pugh a trusted coach and mentor in the corporate world: a commitment to clarity, objectivity, and empowering others to succeed.