University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Sport Management Students Compete in National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship
Tue, 11/14/2023 – 01:05pm | By: Van Arnold
Three University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Sport Management students are competing in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC) this week in an online Virtual Round competition.
USM students Drazen Moratzka, Madison Moucheron, and Glennie Viverette have been selected to represent the university in the prestigious NCSSC competition. With 55 universities and 240 students participating, this event is a great opportunity for these students to showcase their sports sales skills in a competitive format.
The NCSSC, coordinated by Baylor University and aligned with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, offers students the chance to virtually compete in sports sales competitions. Those who excel in the Virtual Round will have the opportunity to advance to the national conference in Atlanta in the spring.
This is the third consecutive year that Southern Miss Sport Management has competed in the NCSSC. Dr. Chris Croft, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, and Mr. Kevin Buckley, Professor of Practice, have been leading the training sessions for the students.
During the fall semester, Moratzka, Moucheron, and Viverette participated in sports sales training with NCSSC and Southern Miss Sport Management alumni. The training has helped them develop their skills as sales reps and professionals, and they are excited to see how they rank among some of the best sports sales programs in the country.
Other than the training provided by NCSSC and the Atlanta Hawks, the students have received additional guidance from recent Southern Miss Sport Management alumni who are currently working in the sports ticket sales industry. This extra training has been valuable for their development and also provided networking opportunities.
The NCSSC competition aims to help students transition from college to the professional sports business industry. Students have the chance to pitch a product to recruiters who serve as buyers in a role-play competition. The judges evaluate their performance based on a rubric, and the students can gain visibility and potentially secure job opportunities in the process.
The event also allows students to interact and interview with recruiters. Professional organizations from various sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL are represented at the conference.
To learn more about the Sport Management program at USM, call 601.266.4627.
Learn more about NCSSC on the following websites:
BaylorS3E (Center for Sales Strategy in Sports & Entertainment)