Tennessee Tech economics students score big for Golden Eagle football
Tech students in Lecturer Chelsea Dowell’s sports economics class volunteer at a Tech
football game. From left: Sara England, Natalie Halfacre, Will Halfacre, and Charles
Jones. Photo by Emily Armstrong.
Tennessee Tech University’s Golden Eagle football team had plenty of factors contributing
to its championship-winning season – from the surge in enthusiasm following the hire
of Head Coach Bobby Wilder, to the recruitment boost gained from Tech’s announced
plans for an all-new stadium in 2026.
One lesser-known secret weapon the team had at its disposal? A valuable partnership
with a team of future economists in Tech’s College of Business.
Economics lecturer Chelsea Dowell, who also boasts extensive experience in nonprofit
consulting, designed a semester-long immersive learning experience that would task
students in her sports economics class with finding ways to further strengthen the
team’s business operations.
Students in the class got a firsthand look at life as a sports economist, and the
football program benefited from the students’ research and data analytics.
As part of the course, two groups cultivated alternate revenue streams for University
Athletics to explore, such as in-stadium food delivery options.
Another group devised a mock dynamic pricing model that could be applied to ticketing
for the forthcoming stadium – dividing the stadium into sectors of varying price points.
The model proposes that ticket prices be allowed to vary depending on attendance per
game, thereby optimizing ticket revenue and community attendance. Bret Cranston, consumer
sales manager for the Indianapolis Colts, also spoke to the class about the dynamic
ticket pricing model used for his team's games.
“My favorite part of sports economics included our research paper where my group and
I gained hands-on experience developing and executing a consultation with Tennessee
Tech football,” said Charles Jones, a Tech sophomore double majoring in finance and
economics.
Students Charles Jones (left) and Will Halfacre (second from left) help guide Golden
Eagle fans into Tucker Stadium at a home football game.
Natalie Halfacre, a Tech junior majoring in marketing, added “I gained hands-on experience
and a true glimpse into what a career in the sports industry would look like through
real-world application and valuable networking opportunities.”
One student in the class, Maddux Richey, a junior economics major, got to see the
class’s partnership at work from both sides of the relationship – Richey is also a
quarterback for the Golden Eagle football team.
“The class really gave me a newfound appreciation for how important sports are in
our culture, in particular, to demand such massive amounts of money, time, planning,
resources and work,” he explained.
Students in the class also volunteered for the ticketing office at two home football
games as part of this service-learning project, and were placed in other behind-the-scenes
roles to help the football program grow and thrive.
“I am so proud of what these students accomplished in such a short period of time,”
said Dowell. “They learned and applied content from class but did so through service
to their school. This new generation of servant leaders is already leaving a legacy
which they can be proud of."
Dowell’s sports economics class isn’t the only group of students in the College of
Business to gain real-world, portfolio-building experience while still in the classroom.
The College of Business reports that more than 90 percent of students participate
in experiential learning activities as part of their studies. Learn more at www.tntech.edu/business.