In modern conditions of profound changes in Russian social reality socio-cultural space and social competition became a powerful factor contributing to the mobilization of the activity of individuals, groups, society as a whole. The desire of people to take a more favorable social position, the struggle for various resources construct new models of human behavior, new practices. Social competition is viewed as a form of social ties and the type of social interactions reflecting the ability of achieving goals in conditions of competition with others. It permeates the entire social fabric inherent in various social groups, organizations, including such high-status and complex ones like universities. The article analyzes the sociocultural mechanisms that accompany social competition, such as pragmatization and rationalization of consciousness and behavior, transformation of traditional values. The mechanisms of flexible-contextual rationality, deviations of values from ideal attitudes are analyzed. The practices simulating (imitating) the processes of organizing and implementing various aspects of the educational process at the university are presented. These practices contribute to the successful attainment of the actors’ goal, but are dysfunctional in the instrumental aspects related to how goal attainment occurs in a competitive environment. The influence of competitive conditions on the growth of authoritarian and bureaucratic tendencies is shown; usage of presentation paradigm and point-rating system; McDonaldized practices in which quantity is synonymous to quality. Some problems social-humanitarian cycle lecturers reducing their competitiveness, are demonstrated. The analyzed practices reflect the process of constructing the sociocultural space of universities, institutionalizing a new normative-value reality.