Culmination of Regular Season Campaign Featuring Indiana's Own Rock Legend Mellencamp in Free Concert in Downtown Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS --- John Mellencamp will headline a special free all-day concert, Sunday, April 2, expected to attract as many as 100,000 music and basketball fans to downtown Indianapolis during the NCAA Men’s Final Four. It will be the fourth annual Final Four concert event sponsored by NCAA Corporate Champion, Coca-Cola.

The concert will take place at Monument Circle in celebration of the city’s hosting the Final Four; “NCAA March Madness®" culminates the following evening with the championship game at the RCA Dome.

"Two of Indiana’s greatest traditions are basketball and John Mellencamp. The opportunity to combine the two with our Corporate Champion Coca-Cola, in what could be among the largest concerts in Indiana history, is the best of all worlds," said Myles Brand, NCAA president. "This is an opportunity for NCAA basketball fans and Mellencamp fans to celebrate America's favorite championship weekend, the NCAA Final Four."

CBS Sports has been featuring a newly recorded version of Mellencamp’s hit, “R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.,” as the theme of its NCAA coverage. CBS Sports will announce the 65-team championship field on the “NCAA Selection Show” Sunday, March 12 at 6 p.m. E.T. Opening-round play begins Tuesday, March 14 and first-round action begins Thursday, March 16.

"This unique concert event reflects our continued commitment to elevate the Final Four experience to a new level -- to reach more people in more places than ever before. In doing so, the unique experience of NCAA basketball can be enjoyed by more people everyday, in all forms, throughout the country," commented Greg Shaheen, vice-president of Division I Men's Basketball and Championship Strategies.

The music festival will be the culmination of weekend-long entertainment activities being planned at Monument Circle and throughout downtown Indianapolis.

The stop in Indianapolis, an hour north of Mellencamp’s Bloomington, Indiana home, is part of a new leg of the "Words & Music" Tour, which starts March 31 in Evansville, Indiana.

Details on all events surrounding the 2006 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis can be found at www.ncaasports.com/basketball/mens/schedules.

Coca-Cola will announce Sunday's complete entertainment line-up in the coming days.