Southern Miss Students Gain Hands-On Experience Selling Tickets for Athletics
Hattiesburg, Miss. — Students enrolled in a sports sales class at the University of Southern Mississippi are getting practical experience by helping sell tickets for athletic events, the university announced. The initiative pairs classroom learning with real-world application, offering students a glimpse into sports marketing and management.
Twenty-five students from Dr. Sabrina Reed’s class in the College of Business and Economic Development’s School of Marketing are assisting the university’s ticket office. The program is a partnership that aims to provide students with hands-on experience and help the department identify future talent, said Robert Krause, assistant athletic director for ticket operations and sales.
Students are divided into five teams, each focusing on different sales targets, including theme days, group sales, and the Eagle Club. Each student commits 15 hours to making and receiving calls to sell tickets. Krause said the competition among teams adds an engaging element to the program.
Reed, an assistant teaching professor, emphasized the importance of experiential learning in sports marketing. She said the class helps students develop networking skills and gain insight into the industry’s realities, including the challenges of cold calls and rejection.
The partnership is part of a broader effort to connect students with organizations such as the New Orleans Pelicans and the Biloxi Shuckers. In 2025, students also worked the NFL Experience during Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Reed highlighted the value of these opportunities in helping students prepare for careers in sports.
Krause noted that the program is currently focused on football ticket sales but plans to include other sports as the semester progresses. Both the university and the athletic department see the initiative as mutually beneficial, providing students with experience while helping the department build its future workforce.
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