Online Round: Completed. Results on LinkedIn.
In-Person Championships: February 26-27, 2024, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA, hosted by the Atlanta Hawks
School admins, professors, or students without a professor/coach, register here.
Professionals: Pros in the fields of sports and entertainment play the buyer and judge roles in professional sales role-plays.
Recruiters and Sponsors register here and/or contact Lane_Wakefield@baylor.edu.
Over 90 organizations were involved in the 2022-23 school year including the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Clippers, Legends, New York Mets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, NASCAR, New York Islanders, Peak Sports, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Union, Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Antonio Spurs, Taymar, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, and the Chicago White Sox.
Over 70 colleges and universities from around the country participated last year, including Baylor, Berry, Bethel, Dayton, Florida State, Kansas State, Loras, Massachusetts, Mercer, Miami (OH), Neumann, Northern Illinois, Point Park, Robert Morris, Samford, Trine, Wilmington and more.
There are three championship divisions in the NCSSC:
- Role-Playing Tournaments
- Ticket Sales
- Corporate Partnerships
- Speed Sell
- Quantum Quiz Tournament (NEW for 2024)
- Try our practice quiz or create your own at QuizWhizzer
The number of slots in the role-playing tournaments are given to each school based on virtual round performance and availability.
All students may participate in the Speed Sell.
Up to two students can represent their school in the Quantum Quiz Tournament. Students work together to answer a set number of questions correctly before their opponent.
The Study Guide will be released soon.
See photos from the 2023 Championship in Atlanta.
In Person Championship
All participants in the role-play tournaments must be graduating in the ’23-’24 school year (December ’23, May/Summer ’24). Grad students are welcome if they have no professional selling experience. Freshman-Juniors are welcome to attend the in-person championship to participate in the Speed Sell Challenge and Quantum Quiz. There are currently no limits to the number of students attending from a given school at the In-person Championship.
Seeding in the role-playing tournament depends on the performance of all student competitors from the same school in each division of the virtual round, respectively.
Matchups in Quantum Quiz will be assigned at random.
Students from the virtual round are not required to compete in the in-person round. Another student can take the place of a qualifier if they are in the job market and desiring to work in sports.
Agenda:
Sunday, February 25th (Faculty/Staff Only)
4:45 PM Research Poster Presentation – Faculty/Staff Only
6:15 PM Hawks vs Magic Game – Faculty/Staff Only
Monday, February 26th
8:00 AM Check-in at State Farm Arena – Gate 1 – CNN Center *Professors to pick up folder for all students
9:00 AM Opening Ceremony – Steve Koonin, CEO, Atlanta Hawks & Lane Wakefield
9:30 AM Round of 64 (Ticket Sales) – Veranda and Loft Levels
10:45 AM Round of 32 (Ticket Sales) – Veranda and Loft Levels; Speed Selling begins – Top Golf Swing Suite S3/S4
11:30 AM Lunch
12:45 PM Round of 16 (Ticket Sales) – Veranda Level
Speed Selling continues – Top Golf Swing Suite S3/S4
Round of 32 begins (Corporate Partnerships) – See assignment
1:45 PM Round of 8 (Ticket Sales) – Veranda Level; Round of 16 (Corporate Partnerships) – See assignment; Quantum Quiz begins (Top Golf Swing Suite S1/S2)
2:45 PM The Importance of Integrity – Suite Level Event Space
- Lane Wakefield, Baylor University
- Jon Adler, Atlanta Hawks
3:15 PM Round of 4 (Ticket Sales) – Veranda Level; Round 8 (Corporate Partnerships) – See assignment
Quantum Quiz (Top Golf Swing Suite S3/S4)
4:00 PM Women in Sports Panel – Suite Level Event Space
- Kim Hoefert, Chicago Bulls
- Courtney Perzan, American Hockey League
- Rachael Starr, Atlanta Hawks
- Britt Obi-Tabot, Atlanta Hawks, Moderator
4:30 PM Championship Round (Ticket Sales) – Suite Level
Round of 4 (Corporate Partnerships) – See Assignment
5:15 PM Championship Round (Corporate Partnerships) – Suite Level
6:00 PM Event Concludes
Tuesday, February 27th
(State Farm Arena Gate 1 – CNN Center Entrance)
*Game tickets to be distributed after morning session. Students must be present for morning session (8:00 am – 12:00 pm) and faculty/staff (11:00 am – 12:00 pm) to pick up. Tickets may not be picked up for those not present.
8:00 AM Hawks Interviews – Suite Level
-11:00 AM Team Interviews – Loft Level
11:00 AM Speaker – Eric Kussin, SameHere Global
-12:00 PM
5:15 PM Early entry to Award Ceremony
Andrew Saltzman, Hawks CRO, to speak & take pictures with award winners
7:30 PM Game: Hawks v Jazz
(Doors Open at 6:15 PM)
Thanks to the Atlanta Hawks for hosting the in-person championship at State Farm Arena. The Hawks go above and beyond to make an excellent experience for students preparing for their career in sports sales. Go Hawks!
