COMPETITIONS
The SAMMY (Sales Advertising Marketing Management Idea of the Year) Award celebrates the year's most exceptional idea based on its overall objective, execution, and results. This prestigious award was created to honor organizations that develop innovative and impactful ideas that set a benchmark for the industry. These standout ideas achieve remarkable results—such as boosting ticket sales, securing more sponsorships, closing more deals, and enhancing fan engagement—and serve as valuable lessons for other organizations to adopt and benefit from. This "gem" of an idea truly exemplifies excellence and innovation in the sports business world.
A superior judging panel consisting of sports industry professionals reviews all of the SAMMY submissions and narrows them down to the six best ideas of the year. Finalists are chosen based on how well they executed their idea to see serious results. Each of the six finalists gives an eight-minute presentation in a special SAMMY Award finalists session at the 2027 SBJ National Sports Forum.
Applications for the 2027 SAMMY Awards will open this fall.
Congratulations to our 2026 SAMMY Award Winner: Columbus Crew
About their SAMMY Presentation: The Columbus Crew launched the first MLS jersey with UV-activated technology through The Goosebumps™ Kit, blending pop culture and local pride by honoring Columbus native R.L. Stine. The multiyear collaboration with Adidas, MLS, Sony, and Stine featured storytelling, resulting in a sold-out home opener, a 29% increase in jersey sales, over 45 million in reach, 10X website traffic on launch day, and more than $1 million in earned media value.
The Graduate Case Cup Competition is a case-style competition for graduate students held each year at the National Sports Forum. It is a unique opportunity for students to utilize the skills obtained in their programs’ curricula in a case study competition.
SBJ NSF created the annual Case Cup competition to meet the needs of graduate-level students preparing to embark on a career in sports business. Twelve teams, each comprised of four students from the same program, compete in a 24-hour multidisciplinary case study designed to push students to excel in a real-world, fast-paced environment similar to working conditions in the sports industry.
After completing the immersive learning experience, students become attendees at the SBJ National Sports Forum. Case Cup students are the ONLY full-time students allowed to attend the Forum in addition to the winning Challenge Cup students.
Applications for the 2027 Case Cup will open soon.
Congratulations to our 2026 Case Cup Competition Winner: University of Oregon
The 2026 case focused on AEG Worldwide and the LA Kings, challenging teams to design an innovative, integrated marketing campaign and enhanced customer journey to boost attendance, deepen fan engagement, and generate new sponsorship revenue within a competitive entertainment market. Click Here to View
The Undergraduate Challenge Cup Competition was created in 2021 to meet the needs of students from top undergraduate programs who are embarking on their journey to a career in sports business.
Unlike the Case Cup, this competition is held virtually in October. Each case is based on a sports-related topic and allows students to showcase the tools obtained in their program’s curricula to a panel of sports industry professionals and academic experts. Twelve schools are selected to compete, and four students from each undergraduate program present their findings after the case is distributed, with one alternate if needed. Teams have one week to review the case and are encouraged to use all outside resources (classmates, graduate students, professors, etc.) to prep for the first-round presentations. When it comes time for the presentation, only four students present on each team, and the four students participating in the preliminary rounds must also present in the finals.
The team that wins the SBJ NSF Challenge Cup Competition is invited to attend the 2027 SBJ National Sports Forum. Lodging and attendee badges will be covered, and a $3,000 stipend will be provided for travel costs.
Submit your interest for the 2026 Challenge Cup (for the 2027 NSF) here
Congratulations to our 2025 Challenge Cup Competition Winner: Deakin University
Hosted by the LPGA, the 2025 Challenge Cup case asked teams to develop a creative, integrated marketing strategy for the 2028 Solheim Cup to boost declining viewership, engage younger and more diverse audiences, and position the event as a major cultural sports experience while working within a $400,000 budget. Click Here to View
