Thanks to the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC), Missouri State University entertainment management senior Raegan Verhoff got to put her sports sales skills to the test.
The NCSSC is a premier competition for aspiring sports sales professionals. It helps them develop and showcase their sales skills to sports industry professionals.
The 2024-25 event featured two rounds: a virtual qualifier in November 2024 and an in-person tournament in Atlanta, Georgia, in January 2025.
“I would love to work for a pro sports team after graduation, so I chose to compete in the competition because I knew there would be a lot of professional sports teams at the in-person round in Atlanta. I knew I could make some connections before I started applying for jobs,” Verhoff said.
To prepare, she studied the ticket packages offered by the Atlanta Hawks and thoughtfully crafted engaging questions for the role play to better understand buyers’ needs and match them with the most suitable ticket options.
The virtual round: selling Hawks tickets
In the first phase, participants competed in either the Ticket Sales or Corporate Partnerships divisions. The top performer from each school advanced to the in-person round.
Verhoff competed in the Ticket Sales division, where she engaged in role play of a sales call, pitching Atlanta Hawks ticket packages to the hospitality coordinator of a local Atlanta bank.
“In my feedback, I was told I did well with establishing rapport with the buyer through beginning conversation and keeping integrity when asked for a discount or a price cut,” she said.
The in-person challenge
The final round in Atlanta followed a similar format, but this time, Verhoff pitched to the hospitality director of a construction company with an office in the city.
The competition used a bracket system, seeding competitors from first to 16th. Entering as the No. 15 seed, Verhoff faced off against the No. 2 seed from the University of New Mexico in the opening round.
Learning and networking
The NCSSC offered more than just competition. Additional events gave students valuable learning and networking experiences:
- Speed selling: A fast-paced elevator pitch challenge judged by industry professionals.
- Quantum quiz: A game–show-style test of sales knowledge, where students gained points by answering questions correctly.
- Industry insights: Panels and speakers covering topics, such as mental health in sales, the launch of the professional networking platform EpicHire and a discussion with Atlanta Hawks employees about careers in sports sales.
While Verhoff did not move past the first round of competition, she found the experience to be worthwhile.
“When watching the final rounds, I learned I did not need to be so focused on the selling of the tickets. It is OK to take a step back and just have conversation to get to know the person better before jumping right into questions,” she said.
“You can also learn a lot about a person’s preferences if you ask the correct questions.”