The Canisius College Department of Athletics announced today that the school has agreed to a partnership with Get Real Sport Sales (GRSS), an industry leader in strategic ticket marketing and ticket sales operations.

Get Real Sport Sales will focus its efforts on ticket sales and service for the Canisius men's and women's basketball and hockey programs. Two GRSS representatives - exclusively dedicated to Canisius - will be reaching out to Canisius fans and supporters to sell season tickets and group packages on the department's behalf.

Canisius will utilize many of Get Real Sport Sales' cutting-edge approaches and product lines, including both traditional and digital ticket sales tools. GRSS is one of the first companies to specialize in outsourcing ticket sales, a rapidly growing trend in collegiate sports.

"We are extremely excited to join with Get Real Sport Sales and we look forward to this association as they help us reach out to college basketball and hockey fans across Western New York," Canisius Director of Athletics Bill Maher said. "Canisius College is committed to creating a great home atmosphere for our men's and women's basketball teams and our hockey program, and we feel that GRSS will be a great partnership to help us continue to grow the Canisius brand."

Canisius is the most recent partnership for GRSS, which since March 2011, has formed successful collegiate partnerships with Butler, Loyola (Chicago), Iowa State, St. Bonaventure, Xavier and Wright State. GRSS not only works with universities, but also partners with professional sports organizations including the Indianapolis Colts, the Cincinnati Reds, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the PGA Tour.

"We are excited to be working alongside Canisius College in order to plan and execute an expansive sales campaign geared towards reaching businesses and individuals throughout Western New York," Jake Vernon, president of Get Real Sport Sales, said. "I am confident that our experienced sales staff and expertise within the ticket sales field can help Canisius College increase its fan base and produce positive sales results in a short period of time."