Tuesday, 11/14/2023 – 01:05pm | | Author: Van Arnold
Three University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Sport Management students are competing in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC) this week in the online Virtual Round competition.
NCSSC is an opportunity to showcase the skills of sports products in a competitive way and includes an international profile of participants with 55 universities and 240 students.
USM students Drazen Moratzka, Madison Moucheron, and Glennie Viverette were selected for the NCSSC competition. In the fall semester, he will be participating in sports business training with NCSSC and Southern Miss Sport Management alumni.
“I am honored and privileged to represent the University of Southern Mississippi in the NCSSC program,” Moratzka said. “The training we have done so far has helped me develop my skills as a salesperson and professional. I’m excited to see where we stand among the best sports marketing programs in the country. “
The NCSSC is run by Baylor University and is affiliated with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. The students will compete in a sports marketing competition with the opportunity to compete and go to the national conference at the end of Atlanta.
This is the third year in a row that Southern Miss Sport Management has competed in the NCSSC, and the training has been led by Dr. Chris Croft, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, and Mr. Kevin Buckley, Professor of Practice, both in the College of Business and Economic Development and School of Marketing.
Moratzka (grad student in Cheyenne, WY), Moucheron (grad student in Purvis, MS), and Viverette (grad student in Moss Point, MS) are all Sport Management majors. He was selected for the NCSSC program in early September and has been training weekly on sports ticket sales.
NCSSC and the Atlanta Hawks provide scholarships but additional training sessions have been coordinated by recent Southern Miss Sport Management alumni. This includes Ryan Theriot (current NCS4 Graduate assistant, and last year’s NCSSC participant), Rachel Bronson (Ministry Ticket Manager in the Omaha Office (Sport Management 2020 Masters alumna), Jerica Galloway, Memphis Grizzlies Account Executive, Ticket Sales (NCSSC 2022 alumni & Sport Management 2022 alumna ), and Jacorey Brown, New Orleans Pelicans Inside Sales Consultant (Sport Management 2023 alumni).
Croft said, “This is our third year competing with NCSSC and we have been fortunate to have recent Sport Management alumni in the field of sports ticketing to give back and help our students in teaching. This has also been an opportunity to connect with our students as they enter the sports business. “
Hundreds of students from schools around the country will participate in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship to make the jump from college to the pros. The NCSSC is an opportunity to showcase the skills of sporting goods in a competition. Recruiters (especially inside sales managers) act as buyers in the role-playing game.
Students throw drugs at the customer. More information on commercial applications is available in the Study Guide provided to students in advance. The judge indicates his performance based on the rubric in the Study Guide. Students progress in the bracket and can be seen from employers.
Since the purpose of the competition is for students to find a job, there is time throughout the event to ask questions and interact with employers. Professional organizations from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and others are represented to consumers and participate in the national convention.
For more information about the Sport Management program at USM, call 601.266.4627.
For more information about NCSSC, visit the following websites:
BaylorS3E (Center for Sales Strategy in Sports & Entertainment
National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC)