Students at the University of Memphis are getting real work experience and a rare opportunity to learn about the inner workings of pro and collegiate sports through a sports sales course in the Sport and Entertainment Management program in the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management.
“It is an extremely unique class that has benefited a lot of students,” said Tim Ryan, director of Sport and Entertainment Management. “We are one of a few universities that has a course at a pro sports facility, and if you have attended a Memphis Grizzlies game, you have probably seen one of our students or alums of the class.”
Teaching the course is UofM alumnus, CJ Wiatr, senior director of Ticket Sales and Service with the Memphis Grizzlies, who has enhanced the program collaborating with the NBA team.
“We set this course up so upon graduation our students have secured an internship or one of the inside sales roles, and as you can imagine it’s very competitive,” Wiatr said. “When you look at Fortune 500 companies, well there’s 500 really big companies. When you look at the big four sports on a major league level, you’re talking about 150 teams.”
Magna cum laude alumnus and sports management major Jackson Harding (BS ’25) grew up a Tiger fan while attending athletics games with his parents who are also graduates of the UofM. He said Memphis was the perfect city to major in sports management because the city has several professional teams.
“I’ve always had a deep passion for sports, not just playing or watching them, but understanding how they bring people together, shape communities and generate revenue,” Harding said. “That passion inspired me to pursue this field of study because I wanted to explore the broader impact of sports beyond the game itself and learn more about the business side of sports.”
Students are taught and attend classes at the FedExForum at least two times per week where they learn marketing, revenue generation, strategies and organizational tactics to generate in ticket sales and sports. The sports sales course is a favorite among students, which is limited to just 10 students per term, who are second semester juniors and seniors, and requires a year-long commitment.
“I was able to graduate in three years due in part to the frequent offering of the classes in my major,” Harding said. “I went to summer school each session. I also received great guidance from Deborah Thompson, my advisor. CJ has also provided me with great career advice and assistance with gaining some interviews after graduation.” Today Harding works for the Memphis Redbirds.
Attending Grizzlies games nights stand out among the highlights of taking the course. Students get to experience the Grizzlies game throughout the arena from the suites to the court throughout pre-season games, regular season and the playoffs.
Part of the course allows students to experience mock sales calls and develop themes for actual game nights with the Grizzlies group sales team to execute fan experiences.
“Some of my biggest success stories are people that had no desire, no interest to get into sales. They have a stigma against it,” Wiatr said. “But we have a team of experts, of sales professionals that engage with different members that make up the community and help them evaluate what a commitment with the Grizzlies could look like, and how it could benefit them. And once they kind of see that, then I’ve had several people say, ‘You know what, this is exactly what I’d like to do.’”
Past alumni who have of the program or those who have taken the UofM course now work for teams including the Grizzlies (NBA), the Dallas Mavericks (NBA), the Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Atlanta Dream (WNBA), Memphis Redbirds, several collegiate sport teams including Tiger Athletics and Clemson University, corporations including FedEx, and even Formula 1 racing.
“Being able to put this on your resume, and utilizing my network that I’ve built, both in collegiate and professional sports…I can guarantee them an interview with just about any team,” Wiatr said.
