CME Group Opens Registration for 23rd Annual Global University Trading Challenge

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CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) has opened registration for its 23rd annual Global University Trading Challenge, an online futures trading competition for undergraduate and graduate students worldwide. The 2026 challenge will run from October 4 to October 30, using a simulated professional trading platform from CQG and real-time resources such as market data, Dow Jones newsfeeds and The Hightower Report.

Teams, which can be led by students or faculty advisors, will manage mock investment portfolios and face real-world style market risks. The registration deadline is 5:00 p.m. CT on September 29, 2026. According to CME Group, last year’s event drew a record 615 teams and about 1,800 students from 174 universities across 25 countries.

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CHICAGO, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that registration for the 23rd annual CME Group University Trading Challenge, which will be held from October 4 to October 30, is now open for interested university students around the world.

The CME Group University Trading Challenge is a hands-on educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students. Teams, led by students or faculty advisors, take on a range of marketplace risks as they work to protect their mock investment portfolios.

Using a simulated, professional-grade trading platform from CQG, teams step into the day-to-day realities of running an investment portfolio–facing the same pressures and possibilities real traders encounter. To sharpen their edge, students can draw on a rich set of available resources, from market data and news to live updates via the Dow Jones newsfeed and The Hightower Report. It all comes together as a real-time test of their ability to read and respond to shifting market dynamics. 

"We're excited to launch this year's Trading Challenge, a program that continues to inspire and equip the next generation of traders worldwide," said Anita Liskey, Global Head of Brand Marketing and Communications at CME Group. "For more than two decades, this one-of-a-kind competition has drawn more than 40,000 participants. We are so pleased to offer students real-world practice in managing risk and seizing opportunities through futures trading."

The deadline for registration for this year's competition is 5:00 p.m. CT on September 29, 2026.

Last year, participation reached a record 615 teams, including approximately 1,800 students from 174 universities across 25 countries. The 2025 winning team came from Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico.

CME Group is committed to educating the next generation of finance professionals on the significance of global derivatives markets and risk management. In addition to interactive events, like the University Trading Challenge, CME Group partners with other industry organizations to offer educational tools, such as Futures Fundamentals, a one-stop educational resource that explains the role of futures markets in everyday life. The goal of the site is to make financial education an engaging experience for anyone, regardless of how well versed they are in the world of finance.

For more information on the CME Group University Trading Challenge, visit https://www.cmegroup.com/events/university-trading-challenge/2026-trading-challenge.html. 

As the world's leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, cryptocurrencies, energy, agricultural products and metals. The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform. In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing. 

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc. NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec is a trademark of BrokerTec Americas LLC and EBS is a trademark of EBS Group LTD. The S&P 500 Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI"). "S&P®", "S&P 500®", "SPY®", "SPX®", US 500 and The 500 are trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones®, DJIA® and Dow Jones Industrial Average are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. These trademarks have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Futures contracts based on the S&P 500 Index are not sponsored, endorsed, marketed, or promoted by S&P DJI, and S&P DJI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

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SOURCE CME Group

FAQ

What is the CME (NASDAQ:CME) 23rd Annual Global University Trading Challenge in 2026?

The 23rd Annual Global University Trading Challenge is a CME Group-run educational futures trading competition for university students worldwide. According to CME Group, teams trade mock portfolios on a simulated CQG platform, using real-time data to manage risk and respond to market moves.

When does the 2026 CME Group University Trading Challenge take place for CME stock followers?

The 2026 CME Group University Trading Challenge runs from October 4 to October 30, 2026. According to CME Group, student teams trade throughout this period on a simulated professional platform, experiencing day-to-day portfolio management and market risk in real time.

What is the registration deadline for the 2026 CME University Trading Challenge (CME)?

Registration for the 2026 CME Group University Trading Challenge closes at 5:00 p.m. CT on September 29, 2026. According to CME Group, interested undergraduate and graduate students must form teams and register online before this cutoff to participate.

Who can participate in the CME Group 2026 Global University Trading Challenge (CME)?

Undergraduate and graduate students from universities worldwide can participate in the 2026 CME Group Global University Trading Challenge. According to CME Group, teams may be led either by students themselves or by faculty advisors, providing flexibility for academic institutions.

What trading tools and data do students use in the 2026 CME University Trading Challenge?

Students use a simulated, professional-grade trading platform from CQG during the 2026 challenge. According to CME Group, teams also access market data, news, Dow Jones updates and The Hightower Report to practice managing risk in a realistic market environment.

How many teams joined the previous CME Group University Trading Challenge before 2026?

In the prior year’s University Trading Challenge, participation reached a record 615 teams and about 1,800 students. According to CME Group, those teams represented 174 universities across 25 countries, showing broad global engagement with the educational futures competition.

Where can investors and students find more information about the 2026 CME Trading Challenge?

More information about the 2026 CME Group University Trading Challenge is available on CME Group’s website at the event page. According to CME Group, the site provides registration details, timelines, rules and educational resources for participating students and universities.