Daughtry and Goo Goo Dolls to perform FREE concerts April 2 – 4 in Indianapolis’s White River State Park, courtesy of AT&T, Coca-Cola Zero™ and the NCAA

INDIANAPOLIS---Recording artists Daughtry and the Goo Goo Dolls will perform in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis as part of the three-day free music festival known as The Big Dance during the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four April 2 – 4.  The NCAA announced the first part of the musical line-up today for the annual Final Four extravaganza.  

The concert series tips off Friday evening of Final Four weekend with the AT&T Block Party – details surrounding the day’s activities and entertainment will be forthcoming.

On Saturday, the Coke Zero™ Countdown will feature multi-platinum GRAMMY nominated rock band Daughtry.  Also taking the stage on Saturday will be Country Music Association New Artist of the Year, Darius Rucker.

Daughtry and Darius Rucker are sure to attract a variety of fans to the Coke Zero Countdown.  Daughtry has sold over 6 million albums and will begin the second leg of their arena tour on March 18 in Baltimore, Maryland. Their self-titled debut was the fastest selling rock debut in Soundscan history, its follow-up Leave This Town is the quintet’s second consecutive No. 1 album. In recognition of the band’s broad appeal, CBS Sports has been showcasing Daughtry’s song “Every Time You Turn Around” off their platinum release Leave This Town in its NCAA March Madness^® promotional spots beginning with the 2010 Super Bowl.  Daughtry’s Saturday performance also will be broadcast to a worldwide audience as part of CBS Sports’ Final Four Show just prior to the tip off of the NCAA Final Four semifinal games Saturday evening.  In addition, highlights of Daughtry’s performance will be featured as part of a vignette to air during CBS Sports’ telecast of the Final Four national championship game Monday night. 

“For basketball and music fans alike, The Big Dance is a highlight of the Final Four, said Beatriz Perez, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “Coke Zero recognizes what an important role fans play in the overall NCAA basketball experience. With ‘Coke Zero Countdown,’ we’re offering a fun, free event that helps make it possible to create even more excitement and fun for fans during the Final Four.

The finale to The Big Dance Concert Series will be Sunday with multi-platinum, four-time GRAMMY nominees the Goo Goo Dolls. The globally influential band has sold more than 10 million albums since 1986 and had an unprecedented string of 14 consecutive number one and top ten multi-format hit singles. 

“The Big Dance provides a weekend of free entertainment and activities for basketball fans, music fans and anyone who wants to get in on the action around the NCAA Men’s Final Four,” said Greg Shaheen, NCAA senior vice president for basketball and business strategies.  “We welcome visitors and local residents to this fantastic event at White River State Park to see national, award-winning performers and celebrate the NCAA Men’s Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, just a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of this year’s Final Four.”

Other artists to perform at The Big Dance will be announced at a later date.

White River State Park, site of The Big Dance, is conveniently located in downtown Indianapolis. The park is home to numerous tourist attractions, including the NCAA^® Hall of Champions, which will be featuring a variety of new exhibits during the Men’s Final Four such as a vintage exhibit highlighting some of the best games throughout the history of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. 

For latest information about The Big Dance and all NCAA Men’s Final Four events and activities, go to NCAA.com/finalfour.

About the NCAA

The NCAA® is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletics opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.NCAA.org and www.NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.    The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions - AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola - and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners - Enterprise, Hershey’s, The Hartford, LG, Lowe's, Planters and State Farm.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. AT&T offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verseSM and AT&T | DIRECTVSM brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T’s Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations are known for their leadership in directory publishing and advertising sales. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.