Build the LBO Model
Connect purchase price, operating performance, financing, debt paydown, exit assumptions, and returns in one hands-on analysis.
A Student Investment Competition
Build the Buyout Case, Defend the Decision
Students work in teams to select and analyze a public company, build an acquisition and financing thesis, test value creation and risks, develop an LBO model, and defend their recommendation through mentor feedback, the semifinal round, and the Final Four pitch.
Applications open September 2 at noon ET. Virtual kickoff September 18. Final round in NYC November 13, 2026.
The Competition
What Students Do in an LBO Case
An LBO case asks whether a company can support an acquisition financed with a meaningful amount of debt and still produce an attractive, defensible return.
Teams select and analyze a public company, build an acquisition and financing thesis, identify potential sources of value creation, and assess the business and financial risks that could weaken the case. They turn that work into an LBO model that connects purchase price, operating performance, debt paydown, exit assumptions, and returns.
Mentor feedback and the semifinal round help teams test their evidence and judgment before the Final Four pitch in NYC. The goal is not one perfect answer. It is a recommendation that a team can explain, challenge, and defend.
How It Works
Select the Company
Teams select a public company, define the investment question, divide responsibilities, and plan the research.
Due Diligence
Students study the company, industry, competitive position, operating drivers, risks, and information that could challenge the thesis.
Build the LBO Case
Teams connect valuation, transaction structure, debt paydown, exit assumptions, returns, and downside cases in one coherent analysis.
Defend the Case
Teams use mentor and judge questions to stress-test their evidence, assumptions, risks, and recommendations before and during the Semifinal Round.
Pitch in NYC
The Final Four teams pitch in NYC, and all LBO competition participants are invited to attend.
Student Experience
Build Skills You Can Explain and Defend
Over 8 weeks, students practice company research, LBO modeling, investment judgment, and presentation.
Fall 2026 Eligibility
Fall 2026 is a selective, alumni-mentored opportunity for qualified juniors and seniors in the UConn School of Business. The cohort is capped at 40 students.
Open to qualified UConn School of Business juniors and seniors from every major. Finance majors are not required.
Research a Public Company
Use public filings, investor materials, and credible market research to test the business, industry, and risks behind the model.
Learn With Alumni Mentors
Work with experienced alumni mentors who help teams challenge assumptions, connect evidence to the model, and sharpen the case.
Present a Defensible Recommendation
Turn the analysis into a clear pitch and answer questions about the evidence, assumptions, risks, and recommendation. The finished case gives students a concrete project to discuss in interviews.
Fall 2026
Team Awards
Awards recognize each of the four teams that reaches the final round.
- 01
First Place
$4,000 - 02
Second Place
$3,000 - 03
Third Place
$2,000 - 04
Fourth Place
$1,000
Fall 2026
8 Weeks from Kickoff to NYC
The Fall 2026 competition runs for 8 weeks, from September 18 to November 13.
All teams submit a Flash Memo for feedback, use that feedback to develop an 8 to 10-slide semifinal deck, and present in the virtual semifinal round. The Final Four teams may refine their decks before pitching in NYC.
NYC Final
The Final Four teams will pitch at the NYC final.
All LBO competition participants are invited to attend the Final Four pitches in NYC.
Prepare
Check the Schedule or Explore the Case
Check Fall 2026 dates and eligibility, or review how the competition develops an LBO case. Fall 2026 applications open Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET and close Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 11:45 p.m. ET.