USM SSP 26_030 Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase of Collegiate Sports Connect.

June 15, 2026
The University of Southern Mississippi
Spencer,
Per our recent discussion regarding a partnership between the University of Southern Mississippi and
Collegiate Sports Connect, please find the following formal justification outlining how CS Connect is
positioned to support candidate identification and recruitment within collegiate athletics.
Collegiate Sports Connect is a purpose-built candidate identification and recruitment platform designed
specifically for NCAA athletic departments. It is structured to support administrative hiring within
collegiate athletics and is not a general-purpose recruiting or job board solution.
The platform is a dedicated database focused exclusively on collegiate athletics administrative hiring,
with search functionality tailored to the unique roles, career pathways, and staffing needs of NCAA
institutions. Unlike general recruiting platforms, Collegiate Sports Connect enables users to identify
candidates based on criteria directly relevant to intercollegiate athletics, including conference and
competitive level experience, geographic and institutional ties (including state-specific connections such
as Mississippi), functional expertise, and career background.
As of June 2026, the platform includes more than 30,000 NCAA athletics administrative profiles, making
it one of the most comprehensive datasets focused specifically on collegiate athletics staffing. These
profiles include professional background information such as work history, areas of expertise, and other
relevant career data that supports efficient candidate evaluation and outreach.
Collegiate Sports Connect is currently utilized by more than 50 NCAA Division I institutional partners,
reflecting broad adoption across the collegiate athletics landscape and validating its utility as a
specialized recruitment tool.
The platform provides continuous access to its database, enabling athletic department staff to identify
and engage candidates in real time. This supports more efficient candidate identification and helps
reduce delays in the hiring process.
In addition to its database and search functionality, the platform provides ongoing updates and insights
that reflect changes in the collegiate athletics employment landscape, supporting more informed hiring
decisions over time.

There is currently no comparable platform that combines NCAA-specific administrative talent data,
structured search capabilities, and athletics-focused recruitment functionality at this scale. General
recruiting platforms and job boards do not provide the same level of specialization or relevance to
collegiate athletics hiring needs.
We appreciate your consideration and look forward to continuing the conversation and supporting the
University of Southern Mississippi's talent identification and recruitment needs.
Zoe Connell
Collegiate Sports Connect
Sr. Director of Sales
Zoe@csconnect.live