Southern Miss Students Advance to National Collegiate Sport Sales Competition in Atlanta

Wed, 02/11/2026 - 09:05am

Students in The University of Southern Mississippi’s Sport Management program will compete in the National Collegiate Sport Sales Competition (NCSSC) face-to-face event Feb. 24–25, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.

Southern Miss will be represented by seniors Heath Deloach, sport management major from Madison, Miss.; Christopher Edmonds, sport management major from, Mobile, Ala.; Laken Firth, sport management major from Mobile, Ala.; and Olivia Reid, business administration major from Poplarville, Miss. Dr. Sabrina Reed, assistant teaching professor in sport management, and Dr. Chris Croft, associate professor in sport management, will serve as team leaders. Reed and Croft are also co-chairs for the national event.

Showcase results from the fall semester determined seeding and the number of Presentation Pro slots awarded to each university. All four Southern Miss students will compete in the Presentation Pro portion of the event, role-playing scenarios focused on ticket sales and corporate partnerships.

“I am beyond excited to compete in the National Collegiate Sport Sales Competition this year in Atlanta,” Reid said. “Under the guidance of two of the best in the game, Dr. Reed and Dr. Croft, our team has been thoroughly prepared through hands-on training and competitive NCSSC matchups. I’m grateful for their leadership and mentorship, and I’m looking forward to putting the skills and strategies we’ve developed to work on the national stage.”

Students qualified for the national competition through participation in six NCSSC Showcase Matchups during the Fall 2025 semester as part of Reed’s SM 395 Sport Sales course. The competition is coordinated by Baylor University’s Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment and aligned with the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.

Each showcase focused on a specific sales competency, including cold calling techniques, understanding buyer motives, overcoming objections, prospecting basics, building rapport and basic negotiating skills. Industry professionals served as judges, with representatives from organizations such as the Atlanta Hawks, Baltimore Orioles, American Hockey League and Ilitch Sports & Entertainment.

The showcases also included four competitive components: Quantum Quiz, a fast-paced knowledge challenge; Resume Rumble, in which students ranked resumes based on hiring potential; Email Inferno, which required students to respond to a customer email with the goal of securing a sale; and Presentation Pro, a head-to-head 60-second sales pitch competition between students from participating universities.

Throughout the semester, Southern Miss competed against Simpson College, Samford University, the University of Wyoming, Graceland University, Florida International University and North Carolina State University, finishing with an overall record of three wins and three losses.

Several Southern Miss students earned top performer recognition during the showcases. Mikal Bolden received honors in four competitions, while LaBarrius Nathaniel was recognized three times. Olivia Reid, Heath Deloach, Danton Johnson and Tylan Lampton earned honors twice. Additional top performers included Christopher Edmonds, Laken Firth and Jaiden Beal.

This marks Southern Miss’s fifth year participating in NCSSC, a competition that has led to professional opportunities for program alumni. Sport management alumna Jerica Galloway accepted a position with the Memphis Grizzlies following her participation and has since advanced within the organization. More recently, alumnus Matthew Scoggins accepted a role with the Atlanta Hawks after competing last year, while alumna Gabriela Wilcox advanced to the Elite Eight round of head-to-head competition.

“Southern Miss has a successful history with NCSSC,” Reed said. “I look forward to taking our group of students to compete again this year, and I am very proud of their hard work and dedication in preparing for the competition.”

Learn more about the Sport Management program in the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi and follow the program on social media.