ABC Announces the Winners of the 2025 Construction Management Competition

LAS VEGAS, NV — Associated Builders and Contractors has announced the winners of its annual Construction Management Competition, which were honored at ABC Convention 2025 in Las Vegas on Feb. 27. Clemson University, affiliated with the ABC Carolinas chapter, was named the overall winner of the 2025 competition with the highest cumulative points in the five competition categories. A total of 34 teams of undergraduate students from colleges and universities nationwide competed this year.

Clemson placed in the top three in two categories, safety and overall achievement. The University of Central Florida, ABC Central Florida’s student chapter, earned second place overall and placed in estimating, project management and quality control. Pennsylvania College of Technology, ABC Keystone’s student chapter, earned third place overall and placed in the estimating, project management and safety categories and was named the 2024 Student Chapter of the Year. 

“Our industry desperately needs skilled, experienced young construction professionals who can rise to the challenge and solve problems so that contractors can build with excellence,” said 2025 Chair of the ABC National Board of Directors David Pugh, Partner, Bradley, Birmingham, Alabama. “This competition gives future industry leaders that type of valuable, resume-building experience while simultaneously helping them achieve their construction career dreams. I am excited to see how these bright leaders contribute meaningfully to the industry throughout their careers.”

The Challenge

The four-person teams put their construction project leadership skills to the test by completing the same real-life construction management project. This year’s multiphase project focused on the MiraCosta Health and Wellness Hub, which encompasses 27 acres at the eastern end of MiraCosta College’s Oceanside Campus in Oceanside, California. The development includes a state-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot gymnasium and a 27,000-square-foot Allied Health Building. Additionally, the entire 27-acre site will undergo enhancements, featuring new concrete, paving, landscaping and walking paths.

The project scope includes a full site development on the eastern side of the campus. The new gym will replace the existing gym building and provide a consolidated location for athletics instruction spaces, locker rooms, kinesiology and a wellness center. The new health building will provide a consolidated location and appropriate facilities for programs.  

Real-World Problems

Amanda Fry, a Project Manager at Hensel Phelps (one of the largest general contractors in the US), donates her time as a coordinator for the Construction Management Competition. “We aim to make things as real as possible for the competitors,” Fry said.

Competitors—all college students studying aspects of the construction industry—can spend months on their proposals, which can run anywhere from 100 to 300 pages. Proposals must include estimates, scheduling, a project management plan, a quality control plan, safety plans and more. Finally, a live presentation is given to the panel of judges.

“Students are forced to confront real-world problems,” Fry explained. “The curveball in this competition was the last-minute addition of a parking area,” which created zoning problems and required change orders.

The 34 teams makes this installment of the Construction Management Competition the largest ABC has ever held. Judges for the competition came from more than 13 different companies, and included owners, partners, consultants and others.

Participants

The 34 teams that participated in ABC’s 2024 Construction Management Competition are:

1. Appalachian State University, ABC Carolinas chapter
2. Auburn University, ABC Alabama chapter
3. Ball State University, ABC Indiana/Kentucky chapter
4. Clemson University, ABC Carolinas chapter
5. Colorado State University, ABC Rocky Mountain chapter
6. East Carolina University, ABC Carolinas chapter
7. Ferris State University, ABC Western Michigan chapter
8. Florida Gulf Coast University, ABC Florida Gulf Coast chapter
9. Florida International University, ABC Florida East Coast chapter
10. Kent State University, ABC Northern Ohio chapter
11. Louisiana State University, ABC Pelican chapter
12. Michigan State University, ABC Greater Michigan chapter
13. Minnesota State University Moorhead, ABC Minnesota/North Dakota chapter
14. Minnesota State University, Mankato, ABC Minnesota/North Dakota chapter
15. Mississippi State University, ABC Mississippi chapter
16. Norfolk State University, ABC Virginia chapter
17. North Carolina A&T State University, ABC Carolinas chapter
18. Pennsylvania College of Technology, ABC Keystone chapter
19. Prairie View A&M University, ABC Greater Houston chapter
20. Purdue University, ABC Indiana/Kentucky chapter
21. Seminole State College, ABC Central Florida chapter
22. Texas State University, ABC Central Texas chapter
23. The University of Alabama, ABC Alabama chapter
24. The University of Southern Mississippi, ABC Mississippi chapter
25. The University of Texas at San Antonio, ABC South Texas chapter
26. University of Central Florida, ABC Central Florida chapter
27. University of Cincinnati, ABC Ohio Valley chapter
28. University of Florida, ABC Florida Gulf Coast chapter
29. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, ABC Pelican chapter
30. University of North Florida, ABC Florida First Coast chapter
31. University of Northern Iowa, ABC Iowa chapter
32. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, ABC Greater Tennessee chapter
33. University of Wisconsin–Platteville, ABC Wisconsin chapter
34. University of Wisconsin–Stout, ABC Wisconsin chapter

All participants are active members of the ABC National Student Chapter Network, which connects local ABC chapters to colleges and universities with construction management programs to build the talent pipeline and mentor future leaders of the construction industry.

Sponsors

DEWALT® is committed to empowering the next generation of tradespeople and is the presenting sponsor of ABC’s National Student Chapter Network. The competition is also supported by Autodesk® Construction Cloud, which provides construction management software trusted by builders on more than two million projects; Gordian, a provider of data-driven solutions for all phases of the building lifecycle; and ABC’s Trimmer Construction Education Fund, which promotes a safe, skilled, sustainable and diverse merit shop construction workforce.

A full list of the winners is available at abc.org/cmc.