Alumna Courtney Campbell is Working in the People Business Making Every Shot Count

Alumna Courtney Campbell ’14 may not have envisioned herself moving to New York City at the age of 31, but this self-proclaimed small-town girl is hitting "nothing but net" as the director of group sales for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) Global. BSE Global is the parent company of Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, and its NBA 2K League affiliate NetsGC. BSE Global also provides shared services to the New York Liberty, the WNBA sister team of the Brooklyn Nets.

Sports have always been a huge part of Courtney’s life. Being predominantly raised by her dad, his passion for sports became a passion of hers from a young age. In addition to his job as a financial planner, her dad was a scout for the Edmonton Elks, a professional Canadian football team previously known as the Edmonton Eskimos. From age four, she tagged along with him while he traveled to attend junior college football games around the state. She grew up racing local kids around the tracks at the fields and knowing more about football than most of the boys she knew. Courtney's mother knew then that she would never grow out of her love for the games. Naturally, she was an athlete herself, playing soccer, football, and track. In fact, she played football as a quarterback until her first year of high school, first playing for First Presbyterian Day School and then recreationally for the Madison Ridgeland Recreational Sports League.

Air Ball to Slam Dunk

After high school, she obtained two scholarships to Auburn University, one in athletics for track and one that was a first-year academic scholarship; however, during her freshman year, she was injured and never got the opportunity to run in a collegiate track meet as an official collegiate athlete. Following the injury, she was faced with the difficult reality that out-of-state tuition would be financially impossible without her athletic and academic scholarships, as she was funding her own way through college.

“It was devastating for me, personally and financially. My body, at a young age – seemed to quit on me (I felt), and financially, I could not afford what so many others around me could. Self-financing your education is an amazing accolade; however, you pay for it, metaphorically and in reality. But it was a no-brainer for me, that when I was going to transfer back to be an instate student, Southern Miss was going to be home.”

While at Southern Miss, Courtney triple majored in marketing, public relations, and Spanish. She fell in love with the walkability and beauty of the campus, as well as the tight-knit community of Hattiesburg. She lived across from the university in the avenues and rode her longboard to Joseph Greene Hall and the LAB every day for class. She reminisced on her fondest memories, which included painting the Eagle Walk during Welcome Week and her study-abroad experience.

“As a transfer student, I wasn’t just a number. I remember feeling like I was a part of contributing to the culture instead of just participating in something that was already established.”

With some financial support from her family and a study-abroad scholarship, Courtney was about to fulfill her dream of living and learning in a Spanish-speaking country by spending the summer before her senior year in Madrid, Spain. “I believe travel with immersion is the greatest teacher, next to Dr. Bill Smith, of course.”

As a business student, Campbell cultivated a long-lasting connection with one of her marketing professors, Dr. Bill Smith. When she speaks of him, she exudes adoration and respect, crediting him for her interest in pursuing a career in sales. She took four of his classes while at Southern Miss and became fascinated with the psychology of purchasing behavior and sales. During her acceptance speech for the Young Alumna of the Year award, she said, “Dr. Bill Smith is a living, breathing legend and, to this day, is the greatest mentor I have ever known. For every career growth opportunity, I call Dr. Smith first, sorry mom and dad!” She went on to share that he continues to provide sound advice and guidance as she navigates through her career choices.

Courtney and Dr. Bill Smith at the 2022 Alumni of the Year Luncheon.

Making Every Shot Count

Courtney jump-started her career after landing a communications and events internship with the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership (ADP). She proved to be a sharp, hardworking asset with wisdom beyond the years of a typical student and was offered a full-time position as the ADP membership coordinator well before completing her bachelor’s degree. After gaining experience and graduating, Courtney moved to Kentucky to be the marketing and membership Coordinator for FSA Management Group before accepting a position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the group account executive in 2015.

While in Tampa, Courtney stayed connected with her alma mater and became the Florida Hub president for the USM Alumni Association. She spent four seasons with the Buccaneers and was one of eight members who made up the #1 Group Sales team in the NFL. She excelled in the Management Training Program and was recognized as the Difference Maker of the Moment three seasons in a row.

She continued to foster a love for sports and leadership by accepting a position in 2019 as the group sales manager with the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. While serving as a member of the leadership team, she made franchise history by producing the first group seller to have a $1 million campaign. Three of her team members achieved this feat in one season alone, all following the year of the pandemic’s limited capacity mandate. She also launched the organization's Diversity and Inclusion Council and the Women’s Network.

While making her mark in Miami and amid the global pandemic, Courtney received shocking news. After being admitted to the hospital with sharp stomach pains, high fever, and symptoms similar to that of a heart attack, the doctor’s speculations warranted further testing. After days of assessments, doctors theorized that she had pancreatic cancer and needed emergency surgery to remove a “growth.” In October 2020, she flew home to Jackson to be with her family and get a second opinion. There, they discovered two large tumors on and near her gallbladder and pancreas, resulting in surgery that removed the tumors and her entire gallbladder. She and her family were relieved to learn that the tumors were not cancerous, and after six months of close monitoring that included frequent trips to and consultations with doctors, she made a full recovery. Throughout this experience, she adopted Jack, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and poodle mix that has since become her closest companion.

Jack, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and poodle mix

In September 2021, Campbell moved to New York City to bring live sports back to the city that never sleeps. She joined BSE Global just before the start of the ’21-’22 season to relaunch the Group Sales department, where she oversees the Nets Group Sales team and the Barclays Center Arena Sales team. She is also leading the charge to launch an all-new Tourism division. She serves as a member of the National Sports Forum Planning Committee, BAN social events chair, and BSE Global youth marketing research and strategy cochair.

Courtney and her best friend, Kelly, outside of Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

Courtney frequently relates what she has learned from her love of sports and being an athlete to her everyday experience in the industry. “Being a runner is an individual sport. You can quit, or you can keep going. Your commitment and your choice to succeed is all mental. All that matters is that you maintain your pace, and you reach the finish line. I think that business is the exact same way.”

Courtney has proved time and time again that, today, the world of sports is no longer a male-dominated industry. There is a seat at the table for everyone; if there isn’t, Campbell is dedicated to facilitating conversations and engaging in measures to create those seats. Her life story is a beautiful testament that it’s not about the challenges that life puts in your court; it’s about how you react that determines if you’ll score.