Arizona Statewide Business School Case Competition

A collaborative, innovative collegiate case competition showcasing the talents of the three public state business schools in Arizona.

The Arizona Statewide Business School Case Competition (ABCC) aims to provide an opportunity for students for professional networking across three state schools to showcase their business acumen, problem-solving skills, and teamwork abilities while tackling real-world business challenges. This event, which will rotate hosting each year amongst the three universities, serves as an opportunity to increase statewide collaboration to potentially address current and future business challenges across the state of Arizona.

ABCC is a prestigious event designed exclusively for business school students from the three state universities in Arizona:

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A glimpse into prior competitions

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Agenda and timing

Competition: Thursday, March 19, 2026 — Friday, March 20, 2026

The case study competition will begin once students arrive in Flagstaff on Thursday, March 19, 2025, at approximately 3 pm and continue throughout the afternoon and evening. The competition concludes on Friday, March 20 by approximately 4 pm.  The final agenda will be shared closer to the event. Students from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona will stay overnight on Thursday in Flagstaff at local hotels close to NAU’s Franke College of Business and will travel back to Tempe and Tucson after the event concludes on Friday afternoon.

Participation

• There will be two divisions: a graduate division and an undergraduate division.
• Each participating university will be allowed to register a maximum of 10 graduate students and 20 undergraduate students. Teams will be assigned at check-in.
• Graduate teams will consist of one graduate student from each university, for a maximum of 10 teams of three students each.
• Undergraduate teams will consist of two undergraduate students from each university, for a maximum of 10 teams of six students each.
• Networking opportunities permit students to work with each other, judges, and deans, sharing insights from a world of perspectives.

About the competition

Teams will receive a case study related to a contemporary business issue to read and review. They will be given two to three hours to analyze the case, develop a comprehensive solution, and create a presentation. Each team will present their solution to a panel of judges and participate in a Q&A session.

Evaluation criteria

Teams will be evaluated based on the following criteria throughout the competition:

1. Analysis and understanding of the case problem.
2. Creativity and innovation in proposing solutions (practicing principled innovation).
3. Feasibility and practicality of the proposed solutions.
4. Quality of the presentation, including communication skills, visual aids, and organization.
5. Ability to respond to questions effectively.

Additional activities

• Networking sessions with industry professionals and potential employers.
• Keynote speeches by influential business leaders.
• Social events to encourage interaction and collaboration among participants (luncheon, professional development workshops).

Prizes awarded for each division

All participating students will receive certificates of participation and fun mementos.

Student application

Applications for the 2026 event are now closed.