March 5 & 6, 2026

In-person Case Competition

FILL OUT OUR INTEREST FORM TO STAY UPDATED!

*LINK TO INTEREST FORM HERE*

Contact mba.mbcp@marshall.usc.edu with questions & concerns

USC Marshall Teams: Please apply directly through MBCP. Thank you!

OVerview

Since its founding in 2001, the Global Case Competition (GCC) has served as a launchpad for future business leaders, uniting top MBA  talent from around the world to solve cutting-edge challenges posed by leading global firms. This year, GCC partners with Google to tackle one of the most transformative opportunities in the digital economy—the rise of Agentic Commerce.

In an era where AI agents are reshaping how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase goods, participants will design a bold and actionable strategy for Google to lead this new frontier. The 2026 GCC invites teams to reimagine the future of commerce—one where AI acts not just as a tool, but as a trusted economic partner for billions of users and merchants worldwide.

kEY DATES

FORMAT

The prompt will be announced in early February. Teams will have the opportunity to submit clarifying questions about the prompt that will be addressed in a Zoom session with Google mid-February (exact date/time TBA).  The session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

Deck Submission: Thursday, March 5, 2026 by 12pm PT

First Round: Friday, March 6, 2026

• Teams will be assigned to one of three rooms for the preliminary round of the competition.  Teams will have 15-minutes to present and 10-minutes for Q&A.
• Each team member must have a speaking role in the presentation. The competing teams are prohibited from viewing first round presentations.

Final Round: Friday, March 6, 2026

• The advancing team from each room will be announced at the conclusion of lunch and will move on to the final round.
• The three advancing teams will give their full presentations in the final round (20 minutes). There will be 10 minutes for Q&A.
• Once concluded, the judges will deliberate, and the winner will be announced at the Awards Reception in the evening.

A keynote speaker and networking/feedback opportunities will be included in the schedule. All teams are expected to attend these events.

APPLICATION PROCESS

**APPLICATION WILL BE OPEN IN NOVEMBER 2025**

Teams of four to five MBA/Online-MBA/Part-Time MBA students can submit applications through this portal.

Each team will be asked to respond to the prompt: What do you see as an optimal solution today to accelerate economic growth worldwide?

In addition to it, teams must collaboratively answer the prompt: What will make your team successful in this case competition?

Note: There is a separate application process for USC Marshall internal applications.

Rules & Eligibility

• The Global Case Competition is open to teams of MBA students or Online-MBA/Part-Time MBA students who are currently enrolled in a business program at an invited business school. Teams will be comprised of four-five students, at least two of whom must be full time MBA students. In the spirit of this competition and USC's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, we encourage invited schools to build teams with diverse backgrounds and expertise in a wide range of business disciplines, including economics, finance, marketing, strategy, and management.
• Accepted teams are responsible for obtaining all permissions and information required to participate from their respective college or university.
• All team members must submit their information in a single form, and each team must designate a team captain to serve as the lead contact. Universities are welcome to submit applications for more than one team. However, only one team per university may ultimately compete. Participation by a school in a prior USC case competition does not guarantee participation in this competition..
• Once a team is selected to compete, any replacement team member must complete an application in order to be granted entry into the competition.
• In order to ensure neutrality, in the weeks leading up to the competition and during the competition itself, participating schools will be recognized only by their team aliases, not by their home school names. Presentation slides and materials should not contain any references to school names.
• No changes to the original deck submission will be permitted.