Georgia Southern Sales Team Defends its Speed Sell Title at the 2026 National Collegiate Sales Competition
A strong team of five sales students represent the Parker College of Business, Center for Sales Excellence in the “Super Bowl” of all sales competitions in Atlanta, GA.
STATESBORO, GA (March 18, 2026) – One of the largest and longest-running university sales competitions in existence, Kennesaw State University hosted the 28th annual National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) on March 6-9, 2026. Georgia Southern University’s sales team was one of 72 schools onsite vying for an opportunity to compete in the Sales Role-Play and Speed Selling competitions. The most elite sales programs the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands traveled to Atlanta, allowing the student competitors to improve their selling skills, enhance their professionalism, and network with some of the top professional organizations.
Founded in 1999 by Dr. Terry Loe, and now led by new executive director, Dr. Scott Inks, the mission of NCSC:
- To promote the sales profession as an honorable and viable career option for college graduates
- To present opportunities for Industry Sponsors to preview and network with top collegiate sales candidates
- To provide a venue for highly qualified students to exhibit and enhance their selling skills on a national stage
- To provide a venue for students, professors, and sales executives to network
After earning their right to represent Georgia Southern University from experience in previous sales competitions, five students from the Parker College of Business competitive sales team from the Georgia Southern’s Center for Sales Excellence, included:
“The best-of-the-best from our sales program represent Georgia Southern University each year at the National Collegiate Sales Competition,” notes Mr. Travis Brickey, senior lecturer of marketing and director of the Center for Sales Excellence at Georgia Southern University. “I appreciate the support from the Parker College of Business administration and to Dr. John Galvan who helped coach NCSC for the first time in 2026. I’m extremely proud of the grit and perseverance shown by Tyler, Katie, Lucas, Ana, and Joseph. These are all great students who earned the right to represent their university at the Super Bowl of all sales competitions!”
In the NCSC Sales Role-Play competition, Mr. Lucas Schultz and Mr. Joseph Tarwater went head-to-head against 144 individual student competitors in a mock 20-minute sales scenario. Role-playing as sales representatives from Gartner, Inc., Schultz and Tarwater, sold actual Gartner solutions to a fictitious buyer, under real-life conditions in this double-elimination tournament. The Sales Role-Play competition consisted of an initial Round One where all 144 university representatives competed. After the first round, students either advance to the Quarterfinals or move on to a Wild Card Round for a final opportunity. Finalists from the Quarterfinals advance to the Semifinals, with the top four moving on to the Finals, where each student only receives 30 minutes to review the role-play case before the round begins.
In the NCSC Speed Selling competition, Ms. Ana Giddens, Mr. Tyler Goddard, and Ms. Katie Smith went head-to-head against nearly 200 students in a non-scripted 90-second elevator pitch. In a single opportunity, the competitors must sell themselves to no more than three companies, being judged by a rubric, grading them on their professional introduction, ability to gain attention, knowledge of the company, effective communication skills, and professionalism. Giddens met CoStar Group, Gartner, and TriNet. Goddard met with Unum, Comparion Insurance Agency, and LPL Financial. Smith met with Bunzl Processor Division, TriNet, and Orkin.
Living up to the Georgia Southern tradition of winning Speed Sell Competitions, Mr. Tyler Goddard won first place in his meeting with Unum and Ms. Katie Smith won first place in her meeting with Bunzl Processor Division. Two years in a row, Georgia Southern was the only university with two students honored in the Speed Sell competition.
“I feel extremely privileged for the opportunity to represent Parker College of Business and the Georgia Southern Sales Center at the 2026 NCSC,” exclaims Ms. Katie Smith, a junior marketing major with an emphasis in sales & sales management. “I was extremely fortunate to win #1 Speed Seller for Bunzl Processor Division! NCSC provided me with the opportunity to meet so many other sales students and the chance to network with so many talented individuals. This was a very rewarding experience, and I look forward to my next opportunity to represent my university on a national stage!”
Georgia Southern University stood its ground with some of the world’s most prestigious sales programs, including the Arizona State University, Toronto Metropolitan University, Florida State University, HAN University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Texas Austin, and Baylor University. Of approximately 6,000 colleges and universities in the U.S., only approximately 200 offer a sales curriculum. Georgia Southern launched its sales program in 2007, leading the way with Kennesaw State University as the first two programs in the state of Georgia. Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State University are the only two fully accredited sales programs in Georgia by the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA).
About the Center for Sales Excellence, Georgia Southern University
Located within Georgia Southern University’s Parker College of Business, the Center for Sales Excellence is recognized by the University Sales Alliance as one of the nation’s top sales programs. Established in 2007, the Center’s mission is to positively impact the sales profession through education, research, and service. The Marketing BBA program offers the students of Georgia Southern University an emphasis in Sales and Sales Management.
Through the Center, students gain experience with sales role-play in our dedicated labs, with many going on to compete in some of the nation’s most prestigious sales competitions. The Center also works to bring students together with companies in the industry looking to hire the best and brightest minds. It is the goal of the Center to be the preeminent sales program in the nation.
About the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC)
The National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC), founded in 1999, provides a venue for dedicated collegiate sales students to improve their skills and pursue career opportunities with top professional sales organizations. One of the largest and the longest-running, worldwide sales competitions, the NCSC facilitates the engagement of industry sales leaders with leading sales professors from across the U.S. Graduates from participating schools enjoy a 30% lower turnover rate and a 50% faster ramp-up time compared to other entry-level sales hires.
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