From the Quad
5/17/2019 12:59:00 PM | General
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation:
First, congratulations to men's tennis on a thrilling win over Virginia yesterday to advance to the NCAA semifinals. The Deacs take on North Carolina Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. I'm getting up early tomorrow to catch a flight down to attend the match – visit the USTA website (click here) for information on how to attend, broadcast details and live scoring links.
Since my "first" day as your new AD, we've been moving fast. We had a great time visiting media outlets in Winston-Salem and Greensboro on May 6 (click here for video) and made 15 stops in Charlotte on May 9, highlighted by a packed reception at the Wake Forest Charlotte Center in Uptown Charlotte (click here for video).
Thank you for the many well-wishes, suggestions and thoughts you have shared with me via email wfuad@wfu.edu. Please keep your feedback coming - your input is already helping shape some of the projects we are prioritizing.
With women's golf teeing off today in the NCAA Championships in Arkansas (click here for live scoring) and baseball at Clemson tonight and tomorrow, we have lots going on, so let's get to the updates.
North Carolina Game Moved to Friday September 13, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN
Yesterday, the ACC announced that our game against the Tar Heels would be moved to Friday, September 13, with kick-off set for 6:00 p.m. on ESPN. Although the game was previously set for a Thursday slot, moving to Friday is in the best interests of the health and safety of the student-athletes on both teams given the previous week's match-ups. For Wake Forest, we anticipate that we will not arrive back in Winston-Salem until 5 or 6 a.m. Saturday morning following our Friday night, September 6 game at Rice while the Tar Heels will host a night game with Miami on September 7. Moving the Carolina game to Friday permits an extra day for both teams to rest up for the resumption of the state of North Carolina's oldest football rivalry in what we know will be an electric atmosphere at BB&T Field.
Obviously, the schedule is unusual this year with three Friday night contests, but I assure you that Saturday remains our preferred day for home football games. As a parent of teenage athletes, I know firsthand the importance of high school sports. At the same time, the exposure and support provided by our broadcast partners and our membership in the ACC provides tremendous benefits to our communities. We will continue to do our best to balance priorities.
Special Football Home Opening Night Ticket Package Now Available, Get Best Price Before May 31
Our staff has been working hard on a number of new grassroots fan initiatives we will be unveiling throughout the summer. To celebrate the Opening Night of our back-to-back-to-back bowl-winning football team and our first ACC Network broadcast, until May 31 only, we are offering a special $49 package including four reserved tickets and a parking pass for the Utah State game. If you have a friend or neighbor who has not yet experienced Wake Forest football at BB&T Field, this is the perfect way to introduce them. For more information on this package and season ticket options, visit the ticket page on GoDeacs.com or click here.
ACC Meeting Report
Also in attendance this past week was one of our student-athletes, Caroline Kuhn, a junior on our volleyball team. Caroline is one of only three ACC student-athletes selected to serve as an ACC Autonomy Representative, voting at the national level on governance initiatives and policies. Her input at the meeting was insightful and she will do a great job of representing the ACC. I am looking forward to working with Caroline and our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) to enhance the student-athlete experience.
With the launch now just 98 days away, it is important for Deacon fans everywhere to mobilize and contact your cable or internet provider now to request they carry the ACC Network. A number of providers have already signed on with ACCN, including Hulu, DirecTV, Fios, Optimum, Google Fiber and PlayStation Vue. I encourage our fans to visit www.getACCN.com for more information. Remember, our debut on ACCN will be our football home opener vs. Utah State on Friday, August 30 at 8:00 p.m.
Congratulations to 89 Graduating Student-Athletes
Monday's Wake Forest graduating class will include 89 student-athletes who have collectively worn the Old Gold and Black in nearly 1,200 athletic contests, have won six ACC Championships and three NCAA Championships, and earned 22 First Team All-ACC honors during their Demon Deacon careers! This class has also excelled academically and in the community with 28 Academic All-ACC honorees and four ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipients. Pro Humanitate at its finest!
Good Luck to This Weekend's Deacons in Competition
In addition to our women's golf team competing for a national title, our men's golf team will be hunting for the fourth men's golf national championship in school history as they head to NCAA Championships in Arkansas on May 24. Our track and field teams will travel south to Jacksonville, Fla. for the NCAA East Regional from May 23-25. After tonight and tomorrow's games at Clemson, baseball heads to the ACC Tournament in Durham next week. Click on the Deac Sheet https://deacs.info/30ofmTz for up to date info on all our teams in action.
Thanks for your support of Wake Forest student-athletes! Have a great and safe weekend!
Go Deacs!
John
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