Success with selling season tickets and hiring student workers: A side-by-side study

Abstract

Selling Division II season tickets for the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) volleyball team had never been done before. The UMD Athletic Department made it their mission and implemented the first ever UMD Women's Volleyball season tickets in 2014 with hopes to continue to sell season tickets every year. Volleyball was highly recognizable on campus and in the community, but was not yet as profitable as it could be. This study was significant to intercollegiate athletics because the researcher looked at the success of selling season tickets for a female athletic program and the success of hired student workers to sell the tickets. The study gained information from two different surveys. One survey went to student workers that worked in the athletic department and the primary focus of those questions were on how to improve training. The second survey went out to volleyball season ticket holders and the season ticket holders were asked about their experience of purchasing season tickets. The athletic department made a profit from an untapped market of selling female athletic season tickets (personal communication, November 1, 2016). The study showed successes in selling season tickets and provided data on the student workers' experience of selling the tickets. The feedback provided in this study helped the UMD Athletic Department improve their work study programs and provided a better working environment.