Where you worried when the Big Ten added four West Coast programs that the “Maps” ad was obsolete? I was.

Since 2015, the Big Ten has been running an ad during broadcast called “Maps” that has a flyover above member institutions. When the conference announced it was bringing in USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, there was concern the campaign would end. It’s back though and bigger than ever.

Flyover country

Starting in the Pacific Northwest, the ad visits Seattle and University of Washington, heads down I-5 stopping University of Oregon and then down to LaLa land with the University of Southern California and University of California Los Angeles before turning east to the Midwest and and finally, the Mid-Atlantic. 

Skylines of Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York make appearances as well, reminding us that the Big Ten is all about the big television markets. Not you though, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. AFC North erasure? Milwaukee too.

Last year when I was lamenting the possible demise of this campaign, a colleague of mine from Ohio pointed out that thought the “flyover” was a little on the nose.

“I want live forever”

Thankfully, the background song “Silver Lining” by Guards remains as the background music. It’s a Big Ten anthem now!

If I was running THON, I’d see if they’d come play…