Trine sport management students advance to national competitions
March 14, 2024
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Trine University sport management seniors, from left, David Retan, Andrew Schulz,
Easton Rhodes and Connor Arthur, competed at the National Collegiate Sports Sales
Championship (NCSSC) in Atlanta on Feb. 26.
ATLANTA — Seniors in Trine University’s sport management program have excelled in
sales and sports analytics competitions this spring.
Trine once again sent team members to the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship
(NCSSC) in Atlanta on Feb. 26.
The annual National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship is an opportunity for college
seniors to showcase sports sales skills in a competitive format. During the in-person
portion, students play the part of ticket representatives for the Atlanta Hawks during
a 20-minute role play with a sports sales professional.
Seniors Andrew Schulz, David Retan, Connor Arthur and Easton Rhodes finished fourth
as a team during virtual competition in November, the best placement ever for a Trine
team. The round included more than 70 teams and 250 students.
Schulz finished fifth, Retan 20th and Arthur 26th. Schulz and Retan advanced to the
64-person individual championship in Atlanta, with Retan winning his opening-round
match.
“This is the third year in a row where we’ve had a student advance out of the first
round, which is quite the accomplishment for our students,” said Brandon Podgorski,
advisor for the team. “They are competing against major colleges, with actual sports
sales programs, and we’ve always been competitive.”
The four Trine students interviewed for jobs with multiple professional sports teams
as part of the event.
Andrew Schulz competes at the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship (NCSAC)
on Feb. 21 in Dallas.
Schulz also competed in the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship (NCSAC),
with the virtual round held in November and the in-person competition on Feb. 21 in
Dallas.
Schulz, who also completed his Master of Science in business analytics at Trine this
semester, is the first Trine student to compete in the NCSAC. In that competition,
students analyze ticketing data to create insights to present to judges.
Out of about 60 students in the virtual competition, Schulz finished 18th to advance
to the individual competition. The eventual national champion beat him in the first
round.
Trine University’s Franks School of Education (FSOE) has continued its streak of perfect employment, with a record number of graduates in the Class of 2026 securing a teaching job or attending graduate school.
Trine University student Julia Benham participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) this summer, gaining hands-on research experience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Trine University’s Brooks College of Health Professions will host a special event highlighting careers and education in occupational therapy from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.