Construction’s Superbowl: A Look Inside the 2026 ASC Competition

The Nugget Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV was a blur of every shade of professional polo as crowds of college students swarmed for the three-day-long 2026 Associated Schools of Construction Competition.

There are “about 1500 students” competing with “350 alternates” says Brandon Howell, the Vice President of Scheduling for Layton Construction.

Thirteen schools from the West Coast chose to compete in Layton’s sponsored mixed-use problem based on the Sol Modern project in Phoenix, AZ, a 29-story build with top-of-the-line amenities.

Howell is a longtime judge for Layton’s sponsored problem, “I like talking to students” and “it’s a great opportunity for recruiting.”

From Competitor to Judge

One of Layton’s first-time judges, Kayla Schaugaard, was one of those recruited by Layton Construction thanks to the ASC competition. Schaugaard says she “competed the last three years as a student,” but being a judge, “is so much better.”

Schaugaard is now a project engineer on the new Iron County Sheriff’s Complex in Cedar City, UT. She says as a student she learned “more at the competition than she did in school.” It gave her lifelong skills for the real world.

As the only woman on the panel, she was glad to provide support and representation for the many young women competing, including an all-women’s team from the University of Utah.

New Voices at the Table

“We mentioned in our presentation, and you hear it a lot in this industry, but women tend to bring new ideas to the table,” said Ensi Armacost a civil engineering student at the University of Utah.

“It’s very empowering” adds Bianca Salvaggio, “we want to get out there and get ahead and show everyone that we can do it.”

After getting Layton’s Request for Proposals, each of the teams had a day to get their proposal together, “The RFP is what they worked on all day Thursday” says Jared Smith, HR Director, Layton Construction, the students making mad dashes to the Layton judges before their 10 o’clock deadline Thursday night.

But even with the focus on the RFPs “the presentations are worth the most” point wise, says Dan Lee, HR Director, Layton Construction. Those were due at 7 a.m. the next morning.

Despite the lack of sleep, the students presented bright and early on Friday, not only sharing their work, but also ready to answer the Layton team’s questions, but seeing the panel of judges wasn’t all scary—it served as inspiration.

“It’s just fun to see them,” says Brigham Young University Junior Kaden Garns, “especially like some of the younger people […] and see them in roles where they’ve grown so much.”

One of the biggest pieces of the competition, mentorship, as judges from sponsoring companies share the realities of working in construction with the aspiring young professionals competing.

“Last year I came in no experience,” said returning competitor Sofia Maria Purcell, a junior from Arizona State University, “I just joined the program and ended up going to Reno” and “it truly transformed my academic career.”

When the Dust Settled

After a day of presentations and a bustling career fair on Saturday morning, the winners were announced.

The conference hall on the second floor of the hotel was filled with nearly 2,000 people, a mix of students, coaches, and judges all waiting for the results.

“I know I told you all that you are all winners,” announced the Rocky Mountain Regional Director Mohammed Mehany.

“I know some of us will get silverware, some of us will not. But that’s a motivation. If you didn’t win, come back and win, right?” added Mehany with a smile, before he introduced the problem sponsor judges to announce their winners.

Boise State University swept the board across the Heavy Civil and Commercial problems, the entire school chanting “B-S-U!” in rapid succession after their first-place wins were announced.

Then it was time for the Layton team to take the stage, the echoes of B-S-U still ringing in everyone’s ears as the audience waited to learn if the Broncos would take a third first-place title.

“All the teams did really good,” said Cory Rhodes, Vice President of Layton’s National Building Group, “it was great to see the creativity and everything that they brought to the table and presented to us.”

In the end, University of Nevada Las Vegas won third, the University of Colorado Denver won second, and in first came Northern Arizona University.

“It’s like the biggest rush of my life” said Will Natale from Northern Arizona University, who has been coming to the competition since he was a freshman, “moving forward, this puts Layton on the table [for future employment]. This is something I’m going to carry forward my whole career.”

As fast as the teams arrived, everyone packed up, ready to return home. Elevators filled with students, equipment, and luggage. The sidewalk outside was lined with school branded vans, prepared to make the trip again next year.

Whether teams left with trophies or a few new connections, they had one thing in common: determination.

See you in 2027.

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About Layton Construction

Layton Construction is a privately held national general contractor, delivering predictable outcomes in commercial construction since 1953. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Layton operates from 16 strategic offices across the United States, employing more than 1,700 construction professionals who serve diverse markets including healthcare, education, commercial office, industrial, hospitality, and multi-unit residential. Founded on the core values of honesty, unity, safety, and quality, Layton has built a reputation for excellence in complex project delivery while maintaining strong partnerships with clients, architects, and trade partners nationwide.