June 12, 2014

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville will celebrate its new membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference on the day it enters the league at a public event on Tuesday, July 1 at Fourth Street Live! in downtown Louisville. It will now include a watch party for the USA Men's National Soccer Team.

The free event will open at 3 p.m., with the USA vs. Belgium soccer World Cup match available for viewing on the main video board at 4 p.m. The Cardinals' ACC celebration program will begin at 6 p.m. or following the conclusion of the soccer match. The event will include special messages from Louisville coaches and student-athletes, fan giveaways, and other features. A concert featuring the Louisville Crashers will cap the celebration on the main stage following the program. There will be food and beverage specials at participating establishments in Fourth Street Live! surrounding the celebration.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford, UofL President Dr. James Ramsey, and Vice President/Director of Athletics Tom Jurich will be among those participating in the celebration. An 11 a.m. press conference that day will be streamed live by the ACC Digital Network on theACC.com.

Mascots from each of the 15 ACC institutions will make a special appearance at the event and interact with fans at Fourth Street Live!. The mascots also will visit with children at the U of L Autism Center that afternoon.

Louisville accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference on Nov. 28, 2012, and will soon move on to join that 15-member league on July 1. After an eight-year affiliation in the BIG EAST Conference, the Cardinals competed in the American Athletic Conference last season. To follow the on-campus transition for the Cardinals, read more at GoCards.com/ACC.

About the ACC

The Atlantic Coast Conference, entering its 62nd year of competition and 15 members strong, has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members continue to build upon the cornerstones on which the league was founded in 1953 with a consistent balance of academics, athletics and integrity. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow @theACC on Twitter and on facebook.com/theACC.

About the University of Louisville Autism Center

The UofL Autism Center at Kosair Charities offers children, parents and community partners a single source for expert treatment, referral and information. It is a joint effort by the UofL Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and the College of Education and Human Development that will eventually incorporate resources from other university programs. The university-based partnership serves as the focus for collaboration with other community-based autism services and advocacy groups.