For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-992-0684
ncohan@stlouissports.org

            ST. LOUIS – Nov. 28, 2006 – St. Louis prepares to welcome yet another NCAA championship this weekend.  And this one is especially near and dear to the area’s sports heart and soul.  Long considered a soccer hotbed and the birthplace of the game’s popularity in the United States, St. Louis is site of this year’s NCAA Men’s College Cup – the “final four” of Division I soccer.  Saint Louis University and the St. Louis Sports Commission host the event, which takes place Friday and Sunday (Dec. 1 & 3) at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on the SLU Campus.  The College Cup returns to St. Louis for the first time since 1975.

EVENT SOLD OUT

A testament to the region’s passion for soccer, tickets for the 2006 Men’s College Cup sold out in the first week they were on sale.  A full house of 7,200 fans will pack Hermann Stadium for the matches.  The semifinals begin at 5 p.m. Friday with Virginia taking on UCLA.  Forty-five minutes after the completion of game one, Wake Forest meets UC Santa Barbara in the other semifinal.  The championship game is at 2 p.m. Sunday.  All of the matches will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

The College Cup is expected to attract more than 3,500 visitors to St. Louis for the weekend, generating millions of dollars for the community.  Included in that number are fans, media, officials and some 1,800 high school players who are participating in an elite soccer showcase that coincides with the College Cup.  Hosted by Metro United and the St. Louis Soccer Club, the showcase includes 96 teams from around the nation.  Their games will take place in Collinsville, Ill., and in Fenton, Mo.  The showcase athletes will stay in Downtown St. Louis.

AN ANTICIPATED WEEKEND

College Cup festivities get under way Thursday night with a welcome reception and the Championship Banquet saluting the four teams.  The student-athletes and coaches will receive a red carpet welcome from local youth soccer players at 6 p.m. at the Missouri Athletic Club downtown (405 Washington Ave.)  Area youth teams have been invited to greet the College Cup participants and obtain autographs at the reception.

The Championship Banquet is at 7 p.m. in the MAC’s Missouri Room.   Seeking to showcase the region’s rich soccer history and tradition, local organizers invited several local stars to be part of the event and help welcome the student-athletes.  Harry Keough, Ty Keough, Pat McBride, and Al Trost are among the St. Louis soccer greats expected to attend the Banquet, which will be emceed by ESPN analyst Eric Wynalda and local soccer personality Bill McDermott.  The Banquet is open to the media.  The public may purchase tickets by calling 314-992-0647.

On Saturday, more than 250 boys and girls ages 10 to 16 will participate in a free NCAA YES Soccer Clinic.  The clinic takes place from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at SLU’s West Pine Gymnasium.  That night, the Missouri Athletic Club awards its Hermann Trophy to the nation’s top male and female Division I soccer players.  The Hermann Trophy is college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy.  Typically held in January, the MAC moved the announcement to this weekend so it would coincide with the College Cup.  The press conference announcing the Hermann Trophy winners will be at 5:45 p.m. at SLU’s Busch Student Center.  More than 700 people are expected to attend the Hermann Awards Dinner at 7 p.m.  For tickets, call 314-539-4470.

A complete schedule of media activities and public events follows this release.

ST. LOUIS CELEBRATES A DECADE OF CHAMPIONSHIPS

The NCAA Men’s College Cup is one of a remarkable 10 NCAA Division I championships taking place in St. Louis this decade.  The 10 championships have an estimated economic impact of $200 million.  In April 2007, the Sports Commission and College Hockey America host the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four at Scottrade Center.  The Sports Commission and the University of Missouri host the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2008 and 2009 at Scottrade Center.  The NCAA Women’s Final Four takes place at Scottrade Center in 2009.  In addition to the championships, the Edward Jones Dome hosts NCAA Men’s Basketball Regionals in 2007 and 2010, and the Missouri-Illinois State Farm Arch Rivalry Football Series starting annually next Labor Day weekend.