Three Bethel students qualified to compete in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship
by Bethel University
Three Bethel University students majoring in sports management have qualified to compete in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship and Conference (NCSSC) Feb. 27-29 in Atlanta, Ga.
Matthew Ellis of Huntingdon, Tn., Alexandria Lipsey of New Albany, Miss., and Aubrey Wallace of Gleason, Tn., have qualified to represent Bethel and will compete with students from across the nation. The contest, held in State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, is open to college seniors and graduate students.
“There was a first round virtual role-playing competition that took place in November that served as the round that decided team and individual seeding. In the role playing scenario, our students had 20 minutes to make a sales pitch to a buyer and they were judged based on how they performed,” explained Tim Wilson, assistant professor of sports management at Bethel. “As we head to Atlanta, the championship is now set up like the NCAA Basketball Championship. There are 64 students competing in a playoff bracket like the March Madness Tournament.”
The competition is judged by ticket sales professionals and professors.
“These past three months have been an absolute journey,” said Ellis, who completed his sports management degree at Bethel in December and is ranked fifth in the nation entering this phase of the competition. “This competition has truly been an eye-opener for me. The night before I graduated a team reached out to me with a job opportunity, and the rest has been history. This competition has afforded me many interviews and meetings with professionals in the field. It’s crazy to think that in a few short days I’ll be heading out to Atlanta to represent my alma mater as ranked in the top five in the nation in the qualifier.”
The students will do more than compete while at NCSSC. There is also a day devoted to interviews with professional and collegiate sports teams with immediate job openings for these students at the top of their field.
“I am so excited to be able to attend this year’s NCSSC competition,” said Lipsey, who is ranked number 76 nationally entering this phase of the competition. “This experience has already given me confidence that I have what it takes to be great in such an amazing industry. Because of this competition, I have had several career opportunities, and I am excited for what the future holds.”
Both Lipsey and Ellis noted the impact of Bethel University’s sports management program on their lives.
“I feel really fortunate to be a part of this incredible sports management program,” said Lipsey. “This program has helped me expand my network, meet amazing people, and it has also given me confidence in myself, and helped me discover the potential I never realized I had.”
Ellis added, “Today I sit and am truly thankful for every bit of support from Bethel and my professors for pushing me because my life can completely change when I get there and hopefully I will be offered an opportunity to show a team what I learned from my time at Bethel University.”
For more information about the sports management program, contact Dr. Josh Greer at greerj@bethelu.edu or 731-352-6313.
