Tell Them a Heisman Sent You: Fan-favorite Nissan Heisman campaign returns for 2026 football season
Nissan‘s star-studded Heisman campaign returns for its 16th year, bringing new athletes, new vehicles and a bold new attitude to the college football season. The Nissan “Tell Them a Heisman Sent You” campaign takes a new approach to the fan-favorite content, centered around long-form video on YouTube with 30-second extensions on TV during games. The fresh, new episodic series features Heisman legends competing to be Nissan’s top spokesperson, spotlighting the Nissan lineup through dynamic, character-driven storytelling that celebrates Nissan’s relentless pursuit of performance and innovation.
“We took a new approach to this year’s Heisman campaign, but one thing is unchanged: These spots reflect Nissan’s passion for going the extra mile and matching the drive of America’s favorite athletes,” said Tiago Castro, senior vice president, U.S. Marketing & Sales, Nissan and INFINITI. “Just like Heisman winners on the field, Nissan’s competitive spirit drives us to win customer hearts with high-quality products, outstanding customer experience and engaging communication.”
For “Tell Them a Heisman Sent You,” a deep bench of fresh and familiar talent brings their competitive drive to a new challenge: endorsing their favorite Nissan vehicles and proving who deserves the title of top spokesperson. The roster features Travis Hunter, Derrick Henry, Tim Tebow, Eddie George, Barry Sanders and Jim Plunkett. This year, the campaign also adds the newest Heisman Trophy winner and 2026 No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, who makes his debut later in the season alongside the all-new 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid.
“I grew up seeing Nissan’s Heisman House commercials, so I was excited about the opportunity to join the campaign,” said Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback and 2025 Heisman Trophy winner. “Getting to meet some of the football legends who helped shape the game was the coolest part for me. You grow up hearing about the impact they had on the field, so spending time around them and being part of the same campaign was really special.”
For 2026, the Heisman story stars a squad of Nissan’s most capable new vehicles – each chosen by the athletes for performance, capability and fan‑favorite appeal:
- The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X, voted #1 Best Truck for Tailgating in USA Today Sports Readers’ Choice Awards and backed by the confidence that 92% of Frontiers sold in the last 10 years are still on the road.
- The premium, family-friendly Nissan Rogue Platinum, named the No. 1 Compact SUV for New-Vehicle Quality in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study℠ (IQS).
- The three-row Nissan Pathfinder, named a “Best New Vehicle for Teens” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Consumer Reports.
- And the all-new 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid, which debuts later this year with Nissan’s third-generation e‑POWER hybrid technology and dual-motor all-wheel drive.
The 2026 “Tell Them a Heisman Sent You” campaign kicks off with 30-second TV commercials during Week 1 of college football on September 4 and runs all season long on ABC, ESPN, Fox, NBC and Amazon Thursday Night Football. The fun continues with full-length versions of each episode released on YouTube and teased across Nissan social media channels.
Who’s got the best Nissan pitch among the Heisman crew? Stay tuned for the episode that announces the winner as the season unfolds.
Nissan remains the fastest-growing mainstream brand in the U.S. over the past 11 months with 17 consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales increases – reinforcing the brand’s momentum heading into the new football season. Nissan was named second among mass-market brands in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study 2026 Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards™.