This document describes business plan competitions sponsored by universities. The idea began in the early 1980s at the University of Texas when Masters in Business Administration (MBA) students created a friendly competitive activity along the lines of the law schools Moot Court competition. Later the competition became national, and then international, involving students from many universities. Business plan competitions have become so accepted that they are considered rites of passage for MBA candidates. The paper describes competitions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, and the University of Pennsylvania. Some nonacademic competitions are sponsored by private organizations, including venture capital firms, and there are a few competitions involving students who band together, not under the auspices of any single organization or institution. In all of these competitions, there are benefits to be gained from participating, no matter the outcome, but the financial rewards, especially those that nurture a business, undoubtedly attract many students. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/SLD)