Tutorial · 8 min · endpoints verified 2026-09-22

How to build an NCAAB head-to-head tool

Compare two canonical programs across loaded meetings. This guide uses only the routes currently supported for NCAAB; it never fills a gap with NBA data.

API coverage and endpoint overview: Explore the NCAAB API

Why this is hard

The data contract behind an NCAAB head-to-head tool

College program names are collision-prone and can change. A defensible matchup tool resolves both programs to IDs before it requests historical meetings.

  • Head-to-head intelligence begins at Solo.
  • The returned archive is the loaded population, not a claim of complete all-time NCAA history.
  • Preserve canonical match and team IDs instead of joining on display names.
  • Show source timestamps and a useful empty state when a query returns no rows.

Path 1 · recommended

Have your AI agent build it

Use MCP for discovery, then make the workflow-specific REST request when the MCP tool set does not expose that enrichment.

1. Connect the MCP server

Add the server in your MCP client and sign in with your Big Balls account. Your client registers itself and handles the token exchange — there is no key to copy.

MCP client configjson
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bigballs-sports-data": {
      "url": "https://mcp.bigballsdata.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

2. Tools your agent gets

  • get_matches

    Live, upcoming or historical matches for a sport or league.

  • get_coverage

    Machine-readable map of what we hold and what we do not.

3. Ask for what you want

Paste this at your agent. It is written to make the model check coverage before it designs anything, which is what stops it inventing a field we do not serve.

Prompttext
Build an NCAAB head-to-head tool. Start with get_coverage for basketball, then get_matches with league=ncaab. Preserve canonical IDs and timestamps. Use only NCAAB capabilities documented by Big Balls Sports Data. If a field is unavailable, show that state and do not substitute an NBA value.

What the agent cannot reach

The MCP server does not expose every REST route used below. It also cannot make an unsupported NCAAB field appear, so keep the REST capability boundary visible in the final interface.

Path 2 · hand-coded

Build it yourself

The sequence below starts from a league-filtered collection, follows a returned ID, and shapes only fields the response actually carries.

  1. 01

    List the NCAAB population

    Begin with an explicit sport and league filter. Check HTTP status before interpreting an empty data array.

    League-scoped requestbash
    curl -s "https://api.bigballsdata.com/v1/matches?sport=basketball&league=ncaab&limit=20" \
+  -H "x-api-key: $BBS_API_KEY"
  2. 02

    Follow the canonical identifier

    Take the ID from the list response and request the exact workflow-specific resource. Never manufacture an ID from a team name.

    Workflow detail requestbash
    curl -s "https://api.bigballsdata.com/v1/teams/$TEAM_ID/h2h-intelligence?opponent_id=$OPPONENT_ID" \
+  -H "x-api-key: $BBS_API_KEY"
  3. 03

    Create the product view model

    Transform the served fields without inferring unavailable metrics. The example keeps null and empty states explicit.

    Honest view modeltypescript
    const matchup = {
  teams: [teamId, opponentId],
  meetings: response.data,
  sampleSize: response.data.length,
  observedAt: response.meta?.generated_at ?? null,
};

Reference

Every endpoint this tutorial uses

All on the gateway at api.bigballsdata.com. Verified against production on 2026-09-22.

MethodPathReturnsWhy you need itPlan
GET/v1/matches?sport=basketball&league=ncaabLeague-scoped games, teams, status and scoresDefines the exact game population and supplies canonical identifiers.Free
GET/v1/teams/:id/h2h-intelligenceLoaded meetings between two canonical programsBuilds the two-program historical comparison.Solo

Pricing, honestly

Discovery is Free; head-to-head begins at Solo

Resolve current program IDs on Free, then use Solo for the historical comparison.

Free key

jsonjson
Game and program identity.

Solo

jsonjson
Solo adds the loaded two-program meeting history.
  • Cache completed games instead of polling immutable rows.
  • Treat plan_required as a product boundary, not a retryable outage.
  • Keep the NCAAB capability set separate from NBA.
See the full plan ladder →

More tutorials

Other build guides

Known gaps

What this workflow deliberately leaves out

A useful first version is narrower than a misleading one. Add another panel only when its league-specific route and fields are verified.

  • Head-to-head intelligence begins at Solo.
  • The returned archive is the loaded population, not a claim of complete all-time NCAA history.

Questions

Can I replace missing NCAAB fields with NBA data?
No. The schemas may be related, but the identities, competitions, and capability depth are not interchangeable.
What should the UI do with an empty response?
Check the status and error envelope, then show a dated empty state. Never turn a failed read into a factual zero.
Where do the plan labels come from?
The route floors come from the endpoint-plan registry used by the product and its checks. A sport-specific floor can override the shared route floor.

Related APIs

Other APIs you can build with:

NCAA Basketball APIBasketball API — Every League, One SchemaNBA API — Live Scores, Box Scores & PropsWNBA API

Also on this sport

NBA Player Props APIInjury Data API for Developers: Free

Stats reference

NBA Player Stats APINBA Player Props API

Ship an NCAAB head-to-head tool

Start with the supported NCAAB workflow, preserve its evidence, and add depth only when the league really serves it.