Asbury Sport Management Class Partners with NASCAR

March 2, 2023

NASCAR recently formed a partnership with the Dayton School of Business (DSB) Sport Management Program as an official Collegiate Sales Partner. Students in the Sport Marketing class (SPM 340) receive sales training from NASCAR employees, with top performers receiving interviews for internship and full-time job opportunities.

“This partnership allows students a behind-the-scenes look at what a career in ticket sales may look like both at NASCAR and across the sports industry,” said NASCAR’s Senior Regional Group Sales Manager Nic Lash. “Together through the NASCAR University partnership with Asbury University, we are investing in each individual’s career development and exposing more new fans to the sport of NASCAR.”

Class sessions involve group ticket sales, successful seller traits, the sales process, prospecting, and closing the deal, among other topics covered. This semester, the Sport Marketing class sell tickets for the Toyota Care 250 and the Toyota 400 Series.

“Hands-on projects are crucial to building the skills, knowledge, and confidence of our students,” Michelle Smith, assistant professor of sport management at Asbury University, said. “For NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary celebration, this class began selling group tickets to the Richmond Raceway in Virginia on February 27 for the upcoming Toyota 400 race.”

Students in the class express their excitement to work alongside NASCAR.

“Partnering with NASCAR already has taught me so many real-world experiences within the business world,” Emily Janszen ‘25 said. “I have learned so many valuable lessons from Nic Lash.”

“Working as an Asbury Athletics Intern while taking this class has helped me to build my network,” Madie Boehnlein ’24 said. “I’m very thankful for the staff and faculty here at Asbury and their drive to prepare us students for what we might face in the real world.”

“We understand that we are part of something greater than ourselves,” Lash said. “By partnering with schools through NASCAR University, we are aligning with the next generation of sports leaders to further their development into respective careers while uplifting them to opportunities within NASCAR.”

In addition to partnering with NASCAR, the Sport Marketing class will develop a career fair (for DSB students) scheduled for Tuesday, April 11, 2023, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Shaw CLC Luce Auditorium. Previous participants from last year’s career fair included: Crowe LLP; Dean Dorton; Ernst and Young; Awesome, Inc.; Lexington Legends; Robert Half; State Farm; LandCal; Chick-Fil-A Corporate; Total Quality Management; Kort Physical Therapy; Dick’s Sporting Goods; First Southern National Bank; and ULS Soccer. In the fall, the Event Management class (SPM 320) will develop and organize a golf tournament at the Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Golf Resort & Spa.

The DSB offers five majors (accounting, business administration, finance, marketing, and sport management), five minors (accounting, business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and sport management), the Master of Business Administration program, and the Online Business Management program. Learn more: https://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/business/.

Students accepted into the Asbury +1 MBA Program can take MBA courses during their undergraduate program with nine MBA credit hours being included within the Traditional Undergraduate tuition. Learn more: https://www.asbury.edu/academics/degrees/graduate/mba/asburyplus1/.