Rippé named director of National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship

Dr. Cindy Rippé, associate professor of sales at the University of North Georgia (UNG), has been named director of the 2021 National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship.

UNG will host the virtual event along with Baylor University's Center for Sports Strategy and Sales and the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 24, 2021.

"This is part of a bigger initiative of getting UNG involved in the community and involved in national sales competitions," Rippé said.

Professional sales is a concentration UNG students can choose as part of a marketing degree in the Mike Cottrell College of Business.

The competition will feature 30 universities from 19 states, including Kansas State University and Florida State University.

In addition to the Hawks, the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Carolina Hurricanes, Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash professional sports teams will recruit December 2020 and May 2021 graduates during the competition. Students must pitch judges who act as businesses considering buying season tickets to use for their employees.

"It puts them in a more realistic scenario. They're dealing with a real buyer and someone who has industry knowledge," Rippé said. "It helps them develop their professionalism. It helps them learn how to think on their feet. It prepares them for their future."