Jeff Marine Bull Ring Competition

Shark Tank Meets Matadors - $20K in Prizes!

Build your ideas, connect with mentors, and plug into the startup community this Spring! Get access to free workshops, dedicated mentoring and coaching sessions - all designed to guide you through the startup process, from idea to launch. Whether you have a seed of an idea and looking to explore it further, or have already put substantial work into your concept, the competition is a great way to learn more about the entrepreneurial process and receive critical early-stage feedback and advice. All CSUN student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures are welcome.

The Bull Ring has been made possible thanks to the generous support of our founding and continuing donor, Jeff Marine and his family. Please see below for full competition schedule, additional details, and eligibility.

Prizes

Grand Prize: $10,000
2nd Place: $5,000
3rd Place: $2,000

Additional awards:
Audience Choice: $1,000
Social Impact Award: $1,000
Best Use of Technology: $1,000

$2,500 of legal services (courtesy of NovusGC) and $2,500 in marketing/branding services (courtesy of IntersectLA) will also be offered to each of the top 3 teams.

Additional funding available over summer!

2026 Competition Schedule
 

Sunday, March 1st
Application Deadline
Submit Application

Friday, March 6th
20 Semi-Finalist Teams Announced

March 9th onward
Coaching & Mentoring Period

Friday, April 3rd
5 Finalist Teams Announced

Thursday, April 23rd
Bull Ring Final Event
Audience RSVP

Application Details

Applications are due Sunday, March 1st, 2026 and require:

(1) a 10-25 page slide deck *or*
     5-7 page executive summary, AND

(2) a video not to exceed 2 minutes.

Submit Application

The Fine Print: Rules & Eligibility

1) The competition is open to ALL current CSUN students.

2) The competition is intended for student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures.

3) Teams must be comprised of at least 2 members.

4) At least 50% of team members must be current CSUN students as of the 2025-2026 academic year (Fall 2025 graduates eligible). The "pitch" must be delivered by a CSUN student.

5) Businesses currently earning >$15K in annual revenue are not eligible.

6) Businesses that have already raised >$50K in investment funding from outside sources are not eligible.

7) Both for-profit and non-profit business concepts are eligible; however, sources of revenue must be addressed.

8) An individual may only be a member of one team.

9) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from past Bull Ring Competitions are not eligible.

The 10th annual CSUN Jeff Marine Bull Ring New Venture Competition concluded on April 24th, 2025. For information, please view the press release here, the final event program here, and photo gallery here.

We would like to honor and formally thank the Marine family for their support and generosity in making this competition a reality. Both born and raised in Los Angeles, Joni and Jeff Marine are deeply passionate about elevating the educational opportunities available to children in the greater L.A. area. The family’s philanthropy has also led to the creation of the Alliance Joni and Jeff Marine High School, which opened in 2017 in Sun Valley. The school brings rigorous college-preparatory instruction and powerful learning experiences through interdisciplinary projects and integration of real-world applications. Jeff and Joni have three daughters, Jenna, Jillian, and Jaslin, all three of whom attended the University of Michigan studying Political Science, Art History, Film, and History.

If you have additional questions, please contact Ryan Holbrook, Entrepreneurship Program Director at the Nazarian College at: ryan.holbrook@csun.edu