Big Ten launches new “We Are Here” spot, highlighting student success, economic impact

In January 2025, the second ad in the "We Are Here" series hit the airwaves during Big Ten basketball games and other winter sports. At its heart are students and alumni from across the Big Ten Academic Alliance, sharing their stories and what a Big Ten education made possible for them. Their journeys — from studying under Nobel Prize–winning faculty to hands-on internships and undergraduate research — speak to the world-class opportunities available at BTAA member institutions and reflect what becomes possible when great universities work together.

The ad is part of the broader "We Are Here" awareness campaign, developed by a creative team of staff from Big Ten member universities under the auspices of the Big Ten Academic Alliance. The campaign showcases the real-world impact of a Big Ten education and the collective strength that comes from collaboration among our institutions — because what each university achieves individually is amplified many times over when they collaborate. Together, the 18 Big Ten universities are educating more than 810,000 students, preparing them for successful lives and careers — with a collective graduation rate more than 20 points above the national average and more than 9.2 million living alumni making a difference in communities across the country and around the world.

A third and final ad in the series is scheduled to air later this year.

Read the full press release on the Big Ten Conference website.