NASCAR partnership revs up opportunities for students

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Bosley

A new partnership with NASCAR could pave the way for JMU sports marketing students to land jobs with one of the premier sports organizations.

In December, NASCAR announced JMU as the inaugural member of its new NASCAR University initiative, a program that will provide training and internships to students from select universities nationwide.

“They’re not going to be reaching out to every sport and recreation management program, and it’s an honor for JMU to be selected first out of everybody,” said Alyssa Bosley, who teaches the Sport Marketing and Sales course in the Hart School’s sport and recreation management program.

The relationship with NASCAR grew out of a relationship with Richmond Raceway, where Bosley’s students have been getting sales experience since 2017. Being part of NASCAR University will enhance the training and the networking opportunities.

The experience with Richmond Raceway, which will continue, involved calling people who had attended races before and using a script to sell tickets. Students who are picked for the NASCAR University program are going to learn how to prospect for sales.

“They’re no longer being handed this piece of paper and told here’s the names and numbers,” said Bosley, whose resume includes serving as director of athletics marketing at JMU from 2008-2011, when she transitioned to teaching. “Being a part of NASCAR University, I think it’s giving the students much more sales experience.”

About 100 students are enrolled in Bosley’s course this semester and all will get the experience of making calls and selling with the script. The top students from the calling program will have the option of working with NASCAR. The students who do well with NASCAR University will be guaranteed interviews for sales associate positions with NASCAR and will be invited to work the NASCAR race at Richmond.

Media contact: Eric Gorton, gortonej@jmu.edu, 540-908-1760