MBS Students Tackle Real-World Sports Sales, Scoring Big for Athletics and Academics

Dr. Nick Swim’s Sport Sales and Sponsorship class is gaining invaluable real-world experience while supporting the university’s athletic programs. The course, developed in partnership with the athletics ticket office, immerses students in the challenging and fast-paced world of sports sales. Over eight sessions, students called past ticket buyers to pitch packages for events like women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and football, ultimately generating over $750 in ticket sales. This innovative approach enhances students’ selling skills and strengthens the connection between the business school and athletics, creating a win-win for both programs.

“For students, being able to learn about selling is great, but being able to actually sell for a Division I athletics program has provided the opportunity to put their learning into action,” says Dr. Swim, Assistant Professor of Sport Management.

UMaine Athletics provides a multitude of part-time jobs for students, including sales, marketing, and operations. Josh Daigle, Associate Director of Ticket Operations, was enthusiastic about the partnership with the class. “This collaboration was huge not just for our office but for UMaine Athletics as a whole,” he says. “As a ticket office, we see ourselves as the first point of contact when it comes to a fan’s experience at any UMaine sporting event,” he says. “The relationship we are fostering with the Sport Management program is a huge benefit to our department as it creates opportunities to gain real-world experience before graduation.”

The course challenged students to develop critical sales skills, often in high-pressure situations. “Sales cold calls might be one of the toughest roles in sport, and in this class, students gained important skills while receiving constant constructive feedback and support,” says Dr. Swim.

Using a list of 300 leads provided by the ticket office, students worked hour-and-a-half shifts in the Donald P. Corbett Business Building computer lab. They crafted and refined call scripts based on the tickets or sponsorships they were selling.

“We spent a ton of time in class trying to sell different items to one another,” says Eamon Goscinski, a senior from Belfast, ME. “It’s difficult to sell to people over the phone, so practicing in class was incredibly helpful.”

Mallory Lufkin, a senior from Brandon, VT, adjusted her script each week based on the teams she was representing. “When you cold call someone, every conversation will be different,” she says. “By learning how to actively listen to a customer, I have more confidence not just in making cold calls, but also at work talking to customers, participating in job interviews, class presentations, and so much more.”

Dr. Swim is incredibly proud of his students’ efforts and their ability to rise to the occasion. “They embraced the discomfort of cold calling, learned to build meaningful relationships with customers, and developed skills they will carry into their careers.”