Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Begin Preparations For 2000 Season On Friday
8/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 1, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Jim Caldwell will welcome his eighth Wake Forest football team to camp when some 30 newcomers report to campus on Friday. The veteran players and redshirt freshmen will arrive here August 8.
The Demon Deacons are coming off their first winning season (7-5) and postseason bowl appearance (a 23-3 win over Arizona State in the Jeep Aloha Bowl) since 1992. Just five starters return from that team, including all-star candidate Byran Ray at defensive end, but there remains a great deal of optimism heading into the 2000 season.
"We will be a very good football team at some point," said Caldwell, who has helped re-build the Deacon program. "Whether we are a good football team on August 31 or in November will depend on how quickly our young players can come together as a unit. Last year's appearance - and victory - in the bowl game was tremendous for our program. Our younger players saw what it takes to get to that point and I think they learned from it."
Wake Forest opens the season on Thursday, Aug. 31 at home against Appalachian State (7:30 p.m. start/no television) and will host North Carolina Sept. 9 at Groves Stadium (6:30 p.m.). Tickets for both games are going quickly.
Season and individual game tickets for all six Deacon home games can be obtained by contacting the WFU ticket office at 1-888-758-3322, or 336-758-3322. For other information regarding tickets or Wake Forest athletics, visit www.wakeforestsports.com, the official website of the Deacons.
Important Dates To Remember
August 4 Freshmen reportAugust 5 First freshmen practice
August 8 Veteran players report
August 10 First full squad practice
August 12 Photo/Media Day at Groves Stadium (1:15 p.m.)
August 23 ACC Media Tour stop at Wake Forest
August 31 Season opener vs. Appalachian State (7:30 p.m.)
