Aug. 17, 2005

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s and women’s soccer teams will host a preseason barbeque at Alumni Field, the home turf of the Fighting Irish, on Saturday, Aug. 20. The cookout will provide a chance to meet members of both teams and obtain autographs from the defending NCAA women’s champion and the 2004 BIG EAST men’s champion. The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the food is free while supplies last.

This will be a great opportunity for fans to get autographs and mingle with the Fighting Irish players and coaches. It is also a chance to buy a 2005 soccer season ticket package. Adult season ticket packages are $30, while youth packages are $25. Those ticket packages will gain you admittance to both men’s and women’s matches. A `Family Four Pack’, which consists of four season tickets, is available for $60. Season tickets entitle you to admission to all regular season games (both men’s and women’s), a soccer newsletter produced by the Notre Dame Promotions Department, a schedule poster and magnet, and a men’s and women’s soccer media guide along with an autographed team photo (one per household).

The Notre Dame women’s team opened exhibition play with an 8-1 victory over Butler on Sunday, Aug. 14. An exhibition match versus Virginia in Fort Wayne, Ind. this Thursday (Aug. 18) is next on the slate for the squad. The Fighting Irish will begin their defense of the national championship at the Nike Classic in Burlington, Vermont as they take on New Hampshire on Friday, Aug. 26. A date with Vermont awaits the Irish on Sunday, Aug. 28.

The Irish men’s squad opens play on Monday, Aug. 22 as they host New Mexico in an exhibition match. Proceeds from the game benefit Grassroot Soccer, an international AIDS awareness and education organization that reaches youth in Africa through soccer clinics. There is a $1 charge for the contest, yet additional donations are welcome. Notre Dame will also travel to Michigan to battle the Wolverines in an exhibition match on Sunday, Aug. 28. The regular season gets underway with a trip to Bloomington, Ind. for the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. Notre Dame takes on SMU in the opener on Friday, Sept. 2 and will face Wake Forest on Sunday, Sept. 4.

For more information on the preseason cookout festivity, please call (574) 631-3264 or visit www.notredamepromotions.com.

–ND–