Southern Miss Sport Management Partners with NCS4 on Marketing Project

As part of the spring 2022 curriculum, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Sport Management program partnered with the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS⁴) in a real-world marketing project. The project included the graduate Sport Marketing and Public Relations class working with NCS⁴ staff to develop specific marketing plans for various areas.

Dr. Stacey Hall, Executive Director and Professor of Sport Management, and Daniel Ward, Director of Training and Exercise, provided an in-class training session on NCS⁴, its background, and their organizational needs. Specific marketing plans were developed for NCS4 Membership Recruitment, CSSP Recruitment and Awareness, Product Reviews/Operational Exercises, and E-Learning Courses (Crowd Safety Fundamentals, Certified Sport Security Professional, and Senior Leadership).

The students worked in small groups throughout the semester to develop a proposed marketing plan in their specific organization category. Components included initial analysis of the area, SWOT analysis, marketing strategy, targeted populations, and social media. All student group information was presented to NCS4 staff for possible consideration for implementation in the future.

“We are very fortunate to work with the College of Business and Economic Development and the Sport Management program on real-world projects,” said Hall. “The outcomes of these projects help us with our strategic marketing efforts and building the NCS⁴ brand.”

Noted Dr. Chris Croft, Assistant Professor of Sport Management: “We are extremely thankful to Dr. Hall and staff for inviting us to collaborate with NCS4 to develop marketing plans for their targeted areas. It was an extremely beneficial experiential learning opportunity for our students to engage with their organization, become more familiar with the sport security industry, and incorporate marketing techniques in a real-world project.”

Housed at USM, NCS⁴ was established in 2006 and after the 9/11 aftermath and is the world’s leading academic research institution focused on addressing sports venue and event risks and threats. NCS⁴ is partially underwritten by grants from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its mission centers around three key pillars: training, research, and outreach. It is the only sport security center in the nation. For more information, visit their website at https://ncs4.usm.edu/.

The University of Southern Mississippi and NCS⁴ currently offer graduate-level sport security classes that are connected to both the Master’s in Sport Management and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs to offer an emphasis on sport security management. Additionally, a Graduate Certificate in Sport Security Management is offered. For more information, visit Academic Programs at https://ncs4.usm.edu/training/.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is a comprehensive public research institution delivering transformative programs on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as online. Founded in 1910, USM is one of only 137 universities in the nation to earn the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity” designation, and its robust research enterprise includes experts in ocean science and engineering, polymer science and engineering, and large event venue safety and security, among others. USM is also one of only 39 institutions in the nation accredited in theatre, art and design, dance and music. As an economic driver, USM generates an annual economic impact of more than $663 million across the state. USM welcomes a diverse student body of more than 14,000, representing 71 countries, all 50 states, and every county in Mississippi. USM students have collected four Truman Scholarships and 37 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, while also leading Mississippi with 27 Goldwater Scholarships, an honor that recognizes the next generation of great research scientists. Home to the Golden Eagles, USM competes in 17 Division I sports sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For more information, visit usm.edu.