Online EventsOnline ChallengeTeam Event

Virtual Business Challenge-Sports

A web-based business simulation (Sports track) played in two online qualifying rounds, October 13 to 23, 2026 and January 12 to 22, 2027. The top two teams per region per round qualify for live simulation sessions at ICDC. No exam, no judge.

Official guidelines

The AI judge does not score this event.

About this event

Virtual Business Challenge-Sports (event code VBCSP) is one of eight tracks of the DECA Virtual Business Challenge, run on a competition version of Knowledge Matters' Virtual Business software. In the Sports track you run a football franchise's ticket pricing, social media, concessions and sponsorships, using event reports, financial reports and social media results. Your score is the simulation's result, not a judge's opinion; the skill is reading the reports the game gives you and making better decisions than the other teams. Teams are one to three chapter members and may not change once registered. There are two ICDC qualifying rounds, played over the internet: Challenge 1 from Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET through Friday, October 23 at 5:00 p.m. ET, and Challenge 2 from Tuesday, January 12, 2027 through Friday, January 22, 2027. The top two teams from each DECA region in each round are eligible for ICDC, with only one team per chapter per round per track, and chartered associations decide who attends. A member can be on a team in every track at the same time but only one team per track, and may compete in only one VBC track at ICDC. A team that qualifies in Challenge 1 cannot re-enter Challenge 2 with different teammates. At ICDC every track competes in two sessions of about 15 minutes each in single-player mode, with final rankings based on the combined points from both sessions. Teams start, stop and set the speed of their own simulation file but must run it through the required simulated time to advance. Sessions are typically held in the exhibit hall in front of an audience; notes are allowed, DECA blazers are required, and VBC competitors may not enter another ICDC event. There is no written test and no presentation.

What judges score

Ticket pricing for a football franchiseSocial media, concessions and sponsorshipsReading event reports and financial reportsReading social media results to make marketing decisions