Nissan announces historic athletics sponsorship with 100 universities and proud support of select NCAA championships

Nissan launches Diehard Fan App to get your game face on

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – #nissan today announced a historic deal to become an Official #sponsor of 100 colleges and universities nationwide, and a proud supporter of select #ncaa Championships. The four-year agreement marks the widest-reaching sponsorship in the history of collegiate sports.

This announcement is part of Nissan's "go big" marketing strategy, which was put in place to create significant, unforgettable marketing moments such as Nissan's return to the Super Bowl last season and its partnership with the Heisman Trophy Trust.

"This program gives #nissan an unmatched and unprecedented connection to college-sports fans," said Jeremy Tucker, vice president, Marketing Communications and Media, #nissan North America. "It allows #nissan to share amazing moments with students, alumni and fans – at every men's and every women's sport. Wherever fans go to follow these student-athletes, we'll be there."

Specifics of each sponsorship were negotiated throughout the summer with the media rights holder for each school involved, including IMG College, Learfield Sports, Outfront Media Sports, FOX Collegiate Sports Properties, JMI Sports and Sun Devil Athletics. The series of sponsorships will cover 22 sports (men's and women's), 100 schools, thousands of student-athletes, 22 million alumni and 188 million fans across the nation.

As an extension of Infiniti's status as an Official #corporate Partner of #ncaa Men's Basketball, #nissan will receive rights to activate at select #ncaa Championship events.

Student-athletes and fans alike at each university stand to benefit from this sponsorship, with support extending to scholarship funds, facilities upgrades (weight rooms, equipment, video boards, Wi-Fi) and tutoring programs among other things.

The #partnership provides permanent #nissan signage in hundreds of stadiums and arenas for multiple sports, as well as countless media opportunities and tickets for consumer incentives.

Like the #nissan activations surrounding the Heisman Trophy Trust #partnership, this deal will grow over time. It begins Nov. 7 with football at Ohio State University, University of Alabama, Texas A&M University, Oregon State University and University of Southern California. On Nov. 14 activation extends to Utah State University (basketball), Syracuse University (football) and Duke University (football) with others to follow in various sports and locations throughout the campuses. By the end of 2015, #nissan on-campus activation will extend to 27 colleges and universities nationwide providing a strong presence in every U.S. region; this extends to all 100 schools in 2016. 

Also included is a sponsorship with the Red River Showdown, the classic battle between the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma that has become one of the most legendary rivalries in all of sports.

"This is big news for #nissan, and it is great news for these amazing student-athletes in every sport who deserve recognition and support," said Tucker. "We are celebrating the excitement of all aspects of college sports, and are delighted to honor the drive, dedication, and teamwork of student-athletes, and their fans, throughout the country."

With this historic announcement, a record-breaking year for #nissan continues getting bigger. This news comes on the heels of Nissan's reveal of the new 2016 #nissan Altima, one of the most extensive mid-cycle makeovers in #nissan history. The Altima, Nissan's best-selling mid-size sedan, stands ready to build on its segment-leading growth over the past six years with a new design, new driving feel, a new sport Altima SR grade and a wide array of enhanced technology, connectivity and safety features.

Earlier in the year, #nissan also revealed the all-new 2016 Maxima and the Cummins Diesel-powered 2016 TITAN XD. The TITAN  XD full-size pick recently was named "Truck of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in its annual 2015 Texas Truck Rodeo.

Nissan College 100

• United States Air Force Academy
• The University of Alabama
• University of Arizona
• Arizona State University
• University of Arkansas
• United States Military Academy at West Point
• Auburn University
• Baylor University
• Boston College
• Brigham Young University
• Butler University
• The University of California, Berkeley
• The University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Cincinnati
• Clemson University
• University of Colorado
• Colorado State University
• Columbia University
• University of Connecticut
• Cornell University
• Duke University
• University of Florida
• Florida State University
• California State University, Fresno
• Georgetown University
• University Of Georgia
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Grambling State University
• Hampton University
• Harvard University
• University of Houston
• University of Illinois
• Indiana University
• University of Iowa
• Iowa State University
• University of Kansas
• Kansas State University
• University of Kentucky
• California State University, Long Beach
• University of Louisville
• Louisiana State University
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Memphis
• Miami University
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of Mississippi
• Mississippi State University
• University of Missouri

• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• North Carolina State University
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• University of Nevada, Reno
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Northern Illinois University
• Northwestern University
• University of Northern Iowa
• University of Notre Dame*
• The Ohio State University
• University of Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State University
• University of Oregon
• Oregon State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• University of Pittsburgh
• Princeton University
• Purdue University
• Rice University
• Rutgers University
• San Diego State University*
• San Jose State University
• Seton Hall University
• Southern Methodist University
• University of South Carolina
• University of Southern California
• Southern University and A&M College
• Stanford University
• Syracuse University
• Temple University
• University of Tennessee
• Tennessee State University
• University of Texas at Austin
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• Texas Tech University
• University of Utah
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Wake Forest University
• University of Washington
• Washington State University
• West Virginia University
• Wichita State University
• University of Wisconsin–Madison
• University of Wyoming
• Xavier University
• Yale University

*begins 2016-17