In 2024, SMU joined the ACC, a Power 5 conference, and turned heads by winning the conference and making it to the College Football Playoffs. In 2025, SMU achieved another milestone achieving Carnegie Research One (R1) classification, ranking it among the nation’s top research universities. Tapping into the collective pride of the university and the collaborative effort behind the achievement we came up with “WeR1” and launched the campaign through a comprehensive collection of billboards, digital marketing, and print ads in The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journaland The Chronicle of Higher Education. Having an R1 university located in the heart of Dallas furthers Dallas’ position as an innovation hub.
