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Apollo Group, Inc. To Join the Nasdaq-100 Index Beginning December 17, 2001

Date 13/12/2001

Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:APOL), of Phoenix, Arizona, will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index® (Nasdaq:NDX), effective at the beginning of trading Monday, December 17, 2001. Apollo will also be included in the Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock SM (Amex:QQQ). Apollo Group, Inc. will replace XO Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:XOXO), which is delisting from The Nasdaq Stock Market®.

With a market capitalization of over $5.2 billion, Apollo Group, Inc., parent company of the University of Phoenix, has been providing higher education programs to working adults for over 25 years. Apollo Group, Inc. operates through its subsidiaries The University of Phoenix Inc., Institute for Professional Development, The College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp., and Western International University Inc.

The Nasdaq-100 Index, launched in January 1985, has risen over 91 percent in the past five years, although past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance and Index performance does not represent the performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock. The Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock represents ownership in the Nasdaq-100 Trust. The Trust holds a portfolio of equity securities that compose the Nasdaq-100 Index and aims to provide investment results that generally correspond with its performance.

The Nasdaq Stock Market lists over 4,100 companies and trades more shares per day than any other U.S. market. For more information about Nasdaq, visit the Nasdaq Web site at www.nasdaq.com or the Nasdaq NewsroomSM at www.nasdaqnews.com.