Wichita State University Sport Management Alumni Tyson Billings (M. Ed. in Sport Management '12)
Where do you currently work and what is your position? Currently, I am an Assistant Ticket Manager inside the athletic department at the University of Nebraska.
What responsibilities do you have with your current position? My responsibilities range quite a bit on a day to day basis. From a ticketing standpoint I am responsible for managing Men's Basketball, Women's Soccer, Wrestling, and Baseball from top to bottom. That includes everything from managing ticket sales at events, to filling orders, renewal efforts as well as customer service initiatives. In addition, I also assist with Football and Bowl Game ticketing efforts. Other aspects of my position include ticket marketing strategy, analytical research, and graphic designing; building ticket designs and promotional pieces for our department.
What differences have you noticed between working in professional and intercollegiate athletics? One difference between professional and intercollegiate athletics from my perspective would be the constant change of sport seasons. In the professional sports world, your entire focus is on one season and putting all your effort into making that team's season run smoothly until next year. At the college level you are constantly juggling different sports with different fan bases that have different goals and expectations. For instance, in November we are not only focused on fall sports but starting winter sports while implementing plans for spring sports. Both have their advantages and disadvantages depending on your area of work.
What made you choose intercollegiate athletics? When the opportunity came to work for the university that I grew up cheering for as a kid it was a fairly easy choice. On top of being a lifelong fan and all, the University here has great resources that help propel you to being the most successful professional you can be.
How has being a student-athlete helped you with your career? Being a student athlete really conditioned me for the lifestyle of working in college athletics. Everyone is familiar with the long hours and hard work that is associated with working in the sport and recreation industry. All throughout college, my free time and weekends were often spoken for whether it was practice or events so there was literally no transition. I'm still fairly used to working 14+ days in a row with no days off. The athletic training routine wasn't optional and you often had to put in extra time to keep up or advance yourself. A couple other important areas of being a student-athlete were time management and learning how to carry yourself as a professional away from work. When we traveled as a team, you had to reflect the values of your school and your team often like how you do in public as a professional. Whether it is right or wrong, people often associate you and your place of employment regardless if you are on or off the clock. Time management skills speak volumes to this career field. Not just being able to juggle workloads as a professional but family, social life and your own personal interests can often be challenging. Looking back, it's interesting the goals and tasks of my professional career have changed but a lot of the lifestyle demands and preparation is similar to expectations as a college athlete. Thankfully my job no longer depends on how fast I can run a mile!
Are there any trends that students pursuing intercollegiate athletics should take notice of? This may seem redundant but anyone working in the NCAA system should familiarize themselves with any policies and restrictions in your area. The career field is constantly changing and evolving so the policies change as well. Auditing issues in this area still take place around the country so understanding the guidelines that apply to your expertise and what issues other schools have had will protect not only yourself but your organization from a lot of trouble. It's a good verse for self-preservation in a very competitive field too. It's not necessarily the actual violation punishment that damages your organization but rather the credibility which is much more difficult to regain.
What advice do you have for a student that wants to work in college sports? The sport and recreation industry is run by relationships whether it's finding a job or building customers. Everyone hints it's all about who you know to succeed in the career. So to find those people I'd say it's important to put yourself in situations that will expose you to different areas of the field. Volunteering, interning, and shadowing are relatively fast ways to meet people, pick up experiences, and gain skills. The more you can bring to the table, the better your chances of sticking around!