UNM student wins sport sales championship in Atlanta

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – For Kiana Alvarez, sports have always had a special place in her heart.

“I grew up in the suites at the Isotopes and I bonded over baseball with my grandpa, who is a diehard Dodgers fan,” said Kiana Alvarez, a UNM Anderson student. 

Little did she know that bond would plant a seed for a career in sports sales. Alvarez just competed in the Collegiate Sports Partnerships Sales Championship in Atlanta.

“We went into various suites at the Atlanta Hawks stadium with different buyers, and it was a bracket-style competition like in basketball,” said Alvarez. 

Nearly 400 students from 79 universities competed. They went head-to-head and had to pitch to buyers on behalf of Atlanta’s NBA team, the Hawks. 

Alvarez ended up winning, but she wasn’t alone, she had a coach of her own. 

“We met many an early morning before I went to school or work, usually around 7 a.m. in Nob Hill, and we would just role play. Clint would come to be with different characters, different scenarios and objections like it was money or time or needing approval from their supervisors,” Alvarez said. 

New Mexico United partners with the Center for Sales and Business Development at UNM Anderson. They have been giving students hands-on experience in sports sales and preparing them for a career in the field. 

“It feels great to know that we can work with students and help make a difference. All that we want to do at New Mexico United is help create positive outcomes,” said Clint Gray, vice president of Business and Development and Facilities. 

Aside from the experience this competition brought students, it was also a way to network for jobs after graduation.

“There is NFL, MLB, NBA, Hockey, MLS all of these different organizations are represented there. So these students now have the opportunity to talk to them and perhaps be recruited by them and one day work for them,” said Gray.