• Joining the excitement around college sports, including football, basketball and 22 other NCAA sports, Nissan will become an Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA
• As football season kicks off, Nissan and the Heisman Trophy partnership continues for the 2019 season with fresh faces and new technology in annual Nissan Heisman House campaign; first campaign spot to air tonight – Thursday, Aug. 29 – on ESPN
• Celebrating all of college athletics, Nissan partners with the NCAA and some of the nation’s most legendary college athletic programs

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nissan’s latest commitment to college athletics is official. Already a staple of college football with its Heisman Trophy partnership, Nissan is now an Official Partner of the NCAA – including an Official Corporate Partner of NCAA Men’s Basketball® and the Final Four®.

The NCAA partnership begins September 1 – the first day of the NCAA’s academic calendar.

“Through our Heisman Trophy sponsorship, Nissan has been synonymous with college football for well over a decade, and now, we are leveraging that momentum to expand our commitment with another icon of college sports,” said Allyson Witherspoon, vice president, Marketing Communications and Media, Nissan North America, Inc. “There are few things in athletics more exciting than NCAA March Madness, and we can’t wait to bring our exciting portfolio of vehicles and innovative technology to the hardwood this basketball season.”

As an Official Corporate Partner of NCAA Men’s Basketball, Nissan will have a robust presence on linear television and streaming in the form of commercial inventory, in-game features and vignettes throughout the season. CBS Sports and Turner Sports jointly manage and collaborate on the NCAA’s Corporate Champion and Partner program.

“We look forward to our partnership with Nissan, and we are pleased that the company, with its strong brand, has committed its support to NCAA student-athlete achievement, intercollegiate athletics and higher education,” said Ellen Lucey, NCAA director of Championships & Alliances, Corporate Relations, Marketing and Branding.

And of course, March is when the excitement really begins. Throughout the NCAA Tournament, digital will be a key space for Nissan to connect to consumers as they follow the excitement of NCAA March Madness^® across all platforms and devices. On the ground, Nissan will have a robust on-site activation presence at the 2020 Men’s Final Four in Atlanta.

2019 Nissan Heisman House campaign

As the wheels are put into motion on Nissan’s NCAA partnership, the 2019 Nissan Heisman House campaign is already underway as part of Nissan's now 14-year sponsorship of the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award and the Heisman Trophy Trust.

Now in its ninth year, this season’s Nissan Heisman House campaign features nine Heisman Trophy winners in a series of TV spots airing on ESPN beginning tonight and running throughout the college football season. The season’s opening spot, “Road to the Heisman House,” will air during tonight’s UCLA vs. Cincinnati game, 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

All 2019 Nissan Heisman House campaign spots were directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and produced by Bullitt. The Russo brothers directed Avengers: Endgame, the highest grossing film of all time, and are award-winning directors of the comedy series Arrested Development and Community. 

“The Heisman House campaign continues to be a tremendous opportunity for Nissan to creatively feature our robust vehicle lineup and innovative technology in front of the massive college football audience,” said Witherspoon. “This year, we’re excited to welcome newcomers Kyler Murray and Paul Hornung to the family, helping create what is sure to be our strongest lineup of commercials, online videos and social content yet.”

Joining Murray (Oklahoma, 2018) and Hornung (Notre Dame, 1956) are returning House members Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma, 2017), Derrick Henry (Alabama, 2015), Marcus Mariota (Oregon, 2014), Tim Tebow (Florida, 2007), Eddie George (Ohio State, 1995), Bo Jackson (Auburn, 1985) and Tim Brown (Notre Dame, 1987).

This year's campaign includes five 45-second spots and five 15-second spots featuring the Nissan Rogue, Altima, Armada, Maxima and GT-R 50^th Anniversary Edition. Nissan Intelligent Mobility also remains a major focus.

Nissan will again provide college football fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite Heisman Trophy candidates. Nissan’s fan vote – the voice of the public – is cast along with other Heisman voters from sports journalists and previous Heisman winners. Fans can vote through Twitter or at nissanheismanhouse.com via their mobile devices.

As in previous years, the Nissan Heisman House Tour, featuring a simulated Heisman House, will travel to different college campuses throughout the U.S. The Tour provides fans an opportunity to enjoy the Heisman House living room, take photos with the Trophy, and meet Heisman Trophy winners as well as ESPN on-air talent.

The tour's first stop will be in Austin, Tex., for the LSU vs. Texas matchup Saturday, Sept. 7. Fans can follow all things Nissan Heisman House throughout the season via the online platform, NissanHeismanHouse.com.

Commitment to college athletics of all kinds

Nissan stands committed to supporting some of the nation’s most legendary college athletic programs.

The new Nissan College Program will include partnerships with 33 of the most high-profile college athletics departments from eight key regions – Southeast, Central, Midwest, Atlantic, Northwest, Northeast, Mountain and West.

NISSAN COLLEGE PROGRAM Regional – 33 Schools Southeast • Alabama • Auburn • Clemson • Florida • Florida State • Georgia • Miami • South Carolina • Tennessee

Midwest • Kentucky • Michigan • Notre Dame • Ohio State • Wisconsin • Louisville Mid-Atlantic • Duke • North Carolina • Penn State • Virginia Tech Mountain • Nebraska

Central • Kansas • Oklahoma • Oklahoma State • Texas • Texas Tech • Texas A&M Northeast • Boston College • Villanova • Syracuse Northwest • Gonzaga • Oregon West • USC • UCLA

About Nissan North America 
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites nissannews.com and infinitinews.com.

About the NCAA 
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. 

About CBS Sports 
CBS Sports, a year-round leader in television sports, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including THE NFL ON CBS; college football, including the SEC ON CBS; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters®, PGA Championship and PGA TOUR; and CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR. In addition, the division includes CBS SPORTS NETWORK, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, and produces INSIDE THE NFL for SHOWTIME. CBS Sports Digital's multi-platform offerings include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports apps for mobile and connected TV devices; streaming sports news network CBS Sports HQ; 247Sports; MaxPreps; CBS Sports fantasy games; and SportsLine.

About Turner Sports 
Turner Sports, a division of WarnerMedia, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports’ television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, ELEAGUE and professional golf.  The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across digital and social platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps.  Turner Sports and the NBA jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com. Turner Sports launched B/R Live in 2018 as a premium live streaming sports platform, serving as the central hub for both the discovery and consumption of live sports content. The streaming service allows fans to find and watch their favorite sports content anywhere, anytime and on the screen of their choice.

About ESPN 
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment company, features more than 50 assets – eight   U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

About the Heisman Trophy Trust 
The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player in the United States. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award. The Trust, furthermore, has a charitable mission to support amateur athletes and to provide greater opportunities to the youth of our country. Our goal through these charitable endeavors is for The Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or with special need.

Media Contacts:
Kevin Raftery
Nissan Brand Communications
615-981-9870
kevin.raftery@nissan-usa.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/39263e5d-49d4-4339-a583-a5e72a695911

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