July 25, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s soccer teams will hold the 2013 “Meet The Teams” barbecue and fan appreciation event from 4-6 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Aug. 11 at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in South Bend.
This free annual event, which has become a favorite of fans and teams alike, allows members of the South Bend/Michiana community to meet the players and coaches from both nationally-ranked Irish squads. Student-athletes of both teams will be on hand to sign autographs and take pictures. Some of the Fighting Irish players also will be available to compete in pick-up games and skills challenges. Along with free food, there will be activities for younger fans, including face painting and balloon animals.
The event will take place rain or shine. Along with outdoor turf fields, the Kroc Center, which is located at 900 West Western Ave., features an indoor facility in case of inclement weather.
The “Meet The Teams” barbecue will take place as part of the kickoff to the 2013 Notre Dame soccer season. There is added excitement entering this season since the Fighting Irish are now a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which is one of the premier leagues for both men’s and women’s soccer.
The Notre Dame women’s team will open its 2013 slate with home exhibition matches versus Xavier (Aug. 14) and Baylor (Aug. 17). Those contests, which are slated for 1 p.m. (ET), will take place at the team’s practice field, located behind the outfield wall of Frank Eck Baseball Stadium. Admission is free, with fans asked to park in the Gold Lot adjacent to Eck Stadium and follow the access road behind the outfield wall to the practice field.
Notre Dame will play host to two contests during the opening weekend of the regular season. The Fighting Irish welcome Illinois to Alumni Stadium Aug. 23 (5:30 p.m. ET) and Northwestern visits Aug. 25 (3:30 p.m.).
The Fighting Irish men’s squad will hit the road for exhibition games against Creighton (Aug. 18) and Drake (Aug. 21) before playing host to Ohio State Aug. 26 in their final preseason game. The showdown with the Buckeyes is slated for 7 p.m. (ET) at Alumni Stadium and it will serve as the program’s annual game to benefit Grassroot Soccer (GRS), which is an international non-governmental organization that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire and mobilize communities against the spread of HIV. GRS has a special connection to Notre Dame soccer as Dr. Tommy Clark, the eldest son of Irish head coach Bobby Clark, founded the organization. This will be the 10th season that Notre Dame has held a match to benefit GRS. Admission to the game is free and donations for GRS will be accepted at Alumni Stadium.
The regular season commences Aug. 30 versus UCLA at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic in Bloomington, Ind. Notre Dame will face SMU Sept. 1 in the final day of the tournament. The home opener on Sept. 8 against North Carolina will be the first official ACC contest for Notre Dame in any sport. Kickoff versus the Tar Heels is scheduled for noon (ET) at Alumni Stadium.
To purchase tickets for the 2013 Fighting Irish men’s and women’s soccer seasons, call the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office at (574) 631-7356, visit the official Notre Dame athletics ticketing web site, UND.com/tickets or stop by the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office windows during normal business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday). Tickets also can be purchased at Alumni Stadium on match days.
A season package, which includes tickets for both the men and women, is $40 for adults and $30 for youths (ages 21 and younger) and seniors (ages 55 and older), while children ages three and younger are admitted free. In addition, a Fighting Irish “Fan Pack” of four season tickets may be purchased for $100. The Notre Dame season ticket packages include a variety of special amenities:
– Access to over 20 Irish men’s and women’s soccer home games
– Irish soccer scarf (one per season ticket purchased)
– Priority seating in the blue chairbacks*
– A free drink on opening day for both programs
– Bring a friend to the stadium for select home games*
– Free access to Soccer 101 with both programs (men’s soccer: Oct. 26 vs. Virginia; women’s soccer: Sept. 19 vs. Syracuse)
– Priority purchasing for postseason home games (ACC and NCAA)
*subject to availability
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