UConn School of Business
LBO Case Competition
Menu

Fall 2026 Schedule

8 Weeks to NYC

Applications open at 12 p.m. ET on September 2. The 8-week competition begins with a virtual kickoff workshop on September 18 and concludes with the final round in NYC on November 13, 2026.

Fall 2026

At a Glance

2026 dates

September 18 to November 13competition dates

Competition duration

8weeks

Capacity

40student cohort cap

Key Dates

  1. 12 p.m. ET

    Application Window

    Applications Open

    The Fall 2026 application window opens for eligible students.

  2. 11:45 p.m. ET

    Application Deadline

    Applications Close

    The Fall 2026 application window closes.

  3. Applicant Update

    Application Decisions

    Applicants receive their Fall 2026 decisions.

  4. Confirmation Deadline

    Selected Student Confirmation

    Selected students confirm their participation by this date.

  5. 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET

    Virtual Kickoff

    Virtual Kickoff Workshop

    Selected students meet their teammates online for the competition framework, a valuation and LBO modeling orientation, and S&P Capital IQ target-screening training.

  6. Monday, September 21 to Thursday, October 1

    Research and Mentor Meetings

    Teams organize the work, begin company and industry research, and meet with mentors.

  7. Deliverable

    Target Submission

    Teams submit the public company they plan to analyze, subject to the final competition instructions.

  8. Monday, October 5 to Thursday, October 22

    Deeper Analysis and Modeling

    Teams test the investment thesis, build the operating and transaction cases, calculate returns, and develop downside scenarios.

  9. Deliverable

    Flash Memo

    Teams summarize the developing recommendation in a Flash Memo for feedback.

  10. Monday, October 26 to Thursday, November 5

    Case Feedback and Refinement

    Teams use the feedback to strengthen the model and expand the analysis into an 8 to 10-slide semifinal deck.

  11. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET

    Pitch Round

    Virtual Semifinal Round

    The Semifinal Round runs on Zoom. Each team receives one 30-minute presentation slot and joins only for its assigned time.

  12. Final Four Announcement

    Final Four Teams Announced

    The Final Four teams advancing to the NYC final are announced after the Semifinal Round.

  13. NYC Final

    NYC Final

    The Final Four teams may refine their decks before pitching. All LBO competition participants are invited to attend the Final Four pitches in NYC.

A student team explains its growth thesis to a seated audience during the 2024 final.

Pitch Rounds

Semifinal Round

Teams use feedback on the Flash Memo to expand the analysis into an 8 to 10-slide semifinal deck for the November 6 Virtual Semifinal Round. The Final Four teams may refine their decks before pitching at the November 13 NYC final.

All LBO competition participants are invited to attend the Final Four pitches in NYC.

Understand the LBO Case

Review the case overview, target eligibility rules, and UConn research platforms before applying.

Explore the LBO Case