From the Quad
4/14/2020 11:26:00 AM | General
April 14, 2020
Good Afternoon Deacon Nation,
Wow! It seems like several years since I last wrote to you From the Quad even though it's only been 26 days. I'm proud of Deacon Nation's compassion, resilience and unity in facing the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Certainly we have a long road ahead of us, but thanks to the heroics of the medical community, the tireless dedication of our nation's transportation, logistics and service workers, and the incredible adaptability of Wake Forest professors along with teachers everywhere, we are meeting the challenge. Let's keep #SocialDistancing to stay safe and help us get back together at BB&T Field, Joel Coliseum and all our venues as soon as possible.
As some know, I come from a big family — in fact, I'm blessed to have 22 first cousins from my Mom and Dad's sides combined! Throughout my career I heard a lot from my cousins about my cool job where they say I just "eat a lot of barbecue, play golf all the time and get to go to tons of ball games."
Lately, it's "Now that you don't have any sports, what do you do all day?"
Simple answer? ZOOM. WebEx. FaceTime. GoogleMeets — all day, everyday! Just like you.
Our commitment to a World Class Student-Athlete Experience goes on and our coaches and staff have been working hard to provide for all the needs of our 425 student-athletes now spread out throughout the nation and world. For instance, our academics support staff, led by Sr. Associate AD & Asst. to the Dean Jane Caldwell, has been averaging 705 virtual tutoring sessions per week. The Wake Forest Athletics Sports Performance Team, which is led by Sr. Associate AD/AHCA Murphy Grant, is ensuring that our post-surgical student-athletes are getting in their rehabilitation wherever they are living and sports psychologist Dr. Rachel Conway is keeping a steady book of group and individual ZOOM sessions to help student-athletes maintain strong mental health.
In a time with lots of unknowns, there is much to share from behind the scenes of Wake Forest Athletics and around the college athletics enterprise. Let's start with some good news!
Football Season Ticket Sales Up, Ticket Purchase Assurance (TPA) Program Announced
Understanding that COVID-19 has impacted Deacon fans in many different ways, we are staying focused on our goal of the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina and have announced new measures to give you enhanced peace of mind when purchasing 2020 football tickets. We are also extending our season ticket priority deadline to June 5, implementing the new Ticket Purchase Assurance (TPA) program and have added an August installment date to our interest-free payment plans. Season ticket sales are still outpacing last year's sales by 40 percent! Click to hear from Coach Clawson.
Deacon Club Outreach, Wake Volunteer Army in Action
Meanwhile, coaches and administrators across Wake Forest Athletics have made over 2,500 phone calls to Deacon Club members and season ticket holders during this time of uncertainty to check-in, listen to fans and discuss the challenges that we're all facing, and also to share positive stories like this year's Scholarship Brunch where Chris & Jada Paul were recognized as Deacon Club Members of the Year.
We have also had tremendous engagement with our Wake Forest Volunteer Army. Through the leadership of our Associate AD Mike Piscetelli, we have conducted WebEx calls with each of our eight volunteer councils. On April 2, I had the opportunity to update and take questions from 133 Volunteer Army members on the screen. The best part of that session though was hearing from women's soccer senior Hannah Betfort and football redshirt junior Sage Surratt, as they shared their quarantine routines! Please reach out to the Deacon Club (deacclub@wfu.edu) with your ideas and feedback, or if you just want to talk Deacon sports!
Facing Budget Realities as Wake Forest Manages the Financial Impact of COVID-19
Wake Forest University is making decisions based on the guiding principles of 1) Sustaining our full mission of teaching/learning and research/discovery, and 2) Supporting the physical and financial wellbeing of the members of our community, as explained in the open letter penned to the Wake Forest community on April 8 by Provost Rogan Kersh and Executive Vice President Hof Milam. Among the steps to address immediate budget concerns are a suspension of all discretionary spending, a pause of pending capital projects, a hiring and compensation freeze and a reduction in executive compensation.
Our head coaches have all volunteered to stand in solidarity with President Hatch, the Cabinet and Academic Deans in taking pay reductions, led by Coach Clawson, who is joining with me in taking a ten percent cut immediately.
Our primary COVID-19 related financial hit to Wake Forest Athletics is a $2.3 million reduction in our previously budgeted $3.5 million distribution from the NCAA. We do have unfortunate savings from the cancellation of spring competitions, recruiting travel and other activities (about $800,000) and will continue to proactively work to meet our commitment to fiscal integrity without compromising service to our student-athletes.
NCAA Extends Eligibility for Spring Sports
Lots of spring 2020 competitive dreams were crushed by COVID-19 but on March 30, the NCAA Division I Council voted to allow schools to provide spring sports' student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility. Additionally, scholarship limits are being relaxed, for the 2020-21 academic year only, to account for incoming recruits and 2020 senior student-athletes who wish to return. Many of our spring sport seniors have already accepted jobs or have pending graduate school appointments, but our head coaches have the flexibility to use this permissive legislation within their existing budget limits or by utilizing their sport-specific Excellence Funds.
Deacon Student-Athletes Rockin' Social Media From a Safe #SocialDistance
You can still get your Deacon fix thanks to the creativity of Wake Forest student-athletes and Wake Forest Athletics' many communication channels. Among the highlights recently are Pro Humanitate stories such as field hockey's Abbie Ashcraft's Much-Needed Masks, and our own Bob McCreary's ('61), whose company has produced & donated over 38,000 Class II surgical-quality masks. Meanwhile on social media, women's soccer is coming together even when they're far apart, No. 1 women's golf is finding new ways to do team-bonding activities, baseball is having fun with being apart, volleyball is spending time in our house and men's tennis is checking in from around the world. Men's soccer coach Bobby Muuss even held his annual Easter alumni and team gathering on Sunday via ZOOM!
Individually, Elisha Evans can't go home to England but is safe in Texas while still interacting with her field hockey teammates, and track and field's Aleeya Hutchins provided a glimpse of what it's like to be a student-athlete during this current moment in time.
Easter Monday Holiday's Wake Forest Roots
Yesterday's edition of Deacon Sports Xtra featured a great story by Associate AD, Athletic Communications, Steve Shutt, about the traditional Easter Monday baseball game between Wake Forest and NC State. Did you know that the North Carolina State Legislature, responding to popular demand, declared "Easter Monday" a holiday to allow state employees to attend this classic rivalry?
As a reminder, subscribing to the Deacon Sports Xtra is FREE and provides access to Wake Forest Athletics that you won't get anywhere else.
Remembering "Gentleman" Carl Tacy
Coach Carl Tacy passed away at the age of 86 on April 2. Coach Tacy was a great coach and leader for Wake Forest basketballduring one of the most memorable stretches in Atlantic Coast Conference history. On behalf of the entire Wake Forest athletics family, we extend our sympathies to his wife Donnie, son Carl Tacy, Jr. and daughters Carla and Beth.
President and Mrs. Hatch Launch Wake Forest Crisis Response Fund
On the right side of the Wake Forest COVID-19 messages page, you'll find the Wake Forest Crisis Response Fund button. President Hatch and his wife Julie have again provided extraordinary leadership by launching this relief effort with a personal gift of $100,000 to help Wake Forest community members in need. Click here to read today's message from President Hatch.
In closing, even in tough times I'm grateful for this "cool job" and all my friends in Deacon Nation. I can't wait to see you all again, in person (even if we are wearing masks and gloves), and celebrate a Wake Forest victory together. Send me your thoughts, questions and suggestions to wfuad@wfu.edu. We're all in this together!
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Afternoon Deacon Nation,
Wow! It seems like several years since I last wrote to you From the Quad even though it's only been 26 days. I'm proud of Deacon Nation's compassion, resilience and unity in facing the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Certainly we have a long road ahead of us, but thanks to the heroics of the medical community, the tireless dedication of our nation's transportation, logistics and service workers, and the incredible adaptability of Wake Forest professors along with teachers everywhere, we are meeting the challenge. Let's keep #SocialDistancing to stay safe and help us get back together at BB&T Field, Joel Coliseum and all our venues as soon as possible.
As some know, I come from a big family — in fact, I'm blessed to have 22 first cousins from my Mom and Dad's sides combined! Throughout my career I heard a lot from my cousins about my cool job where they say I just "eat a lot of barbecue, play golf all the time and get to go to tons of ball games."
Lately, it's "Now that you don't have any sports, what do you do all day?"
Simple answer? ZOOM. WebEx. FaceTime. GoogleMeets — all day, everyday! Just like you.
Our commitment to a World Class Student-Athlete Experience goes on and our coaches and staff have been working hard to provide for all the needs of our 425 student-athletes now spread out throughout the nation and world. For instance, our academics support staff, led by Sr. Associate AD & Asst. to the Dean Jane Caldwell, has been averaging 705 virtual tutoring sessions per week. The Wake Forest Athletics Sports Performance Team, which is led by Sr. Associate AD/AHCA Murphy Grant, is ensuring that our post-surgical student-athletes are getting in their rehabilitation wherever they are living and sports psychologist Dr. Rachel Conway is keeping a steady book of group and individual ZOOM sessions to help student-athletes maintain strong mental health.
In a time with lots of unknowns, there is much to share from behind the scenes of Wake Forest Athletics and around the college athletics enterprise. Let's start with some good news!
Football Season Ticket Sales Up, Ticket Purchase Assurance (TPA) Program Announced
Understanding that COVID-19 has impacted Deacon fans in many different ways, we are staying focused on our goal of the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina and have announced new measures to give you enhanced peace of mind when purchasing 2020 football tickets. We are also extending our season ticket priority deadline to June 5, implementing the new Ticket Purchase Assurance (TPA) program and have added an August installment date to our interest-free payment plans. Season ticket sales are still outpacing last year's sales by 40 percent! Click to hear from Coach Clawson.
Deacon Club Outreach, Wake Volunteer Army in Action
Meanwhile, coaches and administrators across Wake Forest Athletics have made over 2,500 phone calls to Deacon Club members and season ticket holders during this time of uncertainty to check-in, listen to fans and discuss the challenges that we're all facing, and also to share positive stories like this year's Scholarship Brunch where Chris & Jada Paul were recognized as Deacon Club Members of the Year.
We have also had tremendous engagement with our Wake Forest Volunteer Army. Through the leadership of our Associate AD Mike Piscetelli, we have conducted WebEx calls with each of our eight volunteer councils. On April 2, I had the opportunity to update and take questions from 133 Volunteer Army members on the screen. The best part of that session though was hearing from women's soccer senior Hannah Betfort and football redshirt junior Sage Surratt, as they shared their quarantine routines! Please reach out to the Deacon Club (deacclub@wfu.edu) with your ideas and feedback, or if you just want to talk Deacon sports!
Facing Budget Realities as Wake Forest Manages the Financial Impact of COVID-19
Wake Forest University is making decisions based on the guiding principles of 1) Sustaining our full mission of teaching/learning and research/discovery, and 2) Supporting the physical and financial wellbeing of the members of our community, as explained in the open letter penned to the Wake Forest community on April 8 by Provost Rogan Kersh and Executive Vice President Hof Milam. Among the steps to address immediate budget concerns are a suspension of all discretionary spending, a pause of pending capital projects, a hiring and compensation freeze and a reduction in executive compensation.
Our head coaches have all volunteered to stand in solidarity with President Hatch, the Cabinet and Academic Deans in taking pay reductions, led by Coach Clawson, who is joining with me in taking a ten percent cut immediately.
Our primary COVID-19 related financial hit to Wake Forest Athletics is a $2.3 million reduction in our previously budgeted $3.5 million distribution from the NCAA. We do have unfortunate savings from the cancellation of spring competitions, recruiting travel and other activities (about $800,000) and will continue to proactively work to meet our commitment to fiscal integrity without compromising service to our student-athletes.
NCAA Extends Eligibility for Spring Sports
Lots of spring 2020 competitive dreams were crushed by COVID-19 but on March 30, the NCAA Division I Council voted to allow schools to provide spring sports' student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility. Additionally, scholarship limits are being relaxed, for the 2020-21 academic year only, to account for incoming recruits and 2020 senior student-athletes who wish to return. Many of our spring sport seniors have already accepted jobs or have pending graduate school appointments, but our head coaches have the flexibility to use this permissive legislation within their existing budget limits or by utilizing their sport-specific Excellence Funds.
Deacon Student-Athletes Rockin' Social Media From a Safe #SocialDistance
You can still get your Deacon fix thanks to the creativity of Wake Forest student-athletes and Wake Forest Athletics' many communication channels. Among the highlights recently are Pro Humanitate stories such as field hockey's Abbie Ashcraft's Much-Needed Masks, and our own Bob McCreary's ('61), whose company has produced & donated over 38,000 Class II surgical-quality masks. Meanwhile on social media, women's soccer is coming together even when they're far apart, No. 1 women's golf is finding new ways to do team-bonding activities, baseball is having fun with being apart, volleyball is spending time in our house and men's tennis is checking in from around the world. Men's soccer coach Bobby Muuss even held his annual Easter alumni and team gathering on Sunday via ZOOM!
Individually, Elisha Evans can't go home to England but is safe in Texas while still interacting with her field hockey teammates, and track and field's Aleeya Hutchins provided a glimpse of what it's like to be a student-athlete during this current moment in time.
Easter Monday Holiday's Wake Forest Roots
Yesterday's edition of Deacon Sports Xtra featured a great story by Associate AD, Athletic Communications, Steve Shutt, about the traditional Easter Monday baseball game between Wake Forest and NC State. Did you know that the North Carolina State Legislature, responding to popular demand, declared "Easter Monday" a holiday to allow state employees to attend this classic rivalry?
As a reminder, subscribing to the Deacon Sports Xtra is FREE and provides access to Wake Forest Athletics that you won't get anywhere else.
Remembering "Gentleman" Carl Tacy
Coach Carl Tacy passed away at the age of 86 on April 2. Coach Tacy was a great coach and leader for Wake Forest basketballduring one of the most memorable stretches in Atlantic Coast Conference history. On behalf of the entire Wake Forest athletics family, we extend our sympathies to his wife Donnie, son Carl Tacy, Jr. and daughters Carla and Beth.
President and Mrs. Hatch Launch Wake Forest Crisis Response Fund
On the right side of the Wake Forest COVID-19 messages page, you'll find the Wake Forest Crisis Response Fund button. President Hatch and his wife Julie have again provided extraordinary leadership by launching this relief effort with a personal gift of $100,000 to help Wake Forest community members in need. Click here to read today's message from President Hatch.
In closing, even in tough times I'm grateful for this "cool job" and all my friends in Deacon Nation. I can't wait to see you all again, in person (even if we are wearing masks and gloves), and celebrate a Wake Forest victory together. Send me your thoughts, questions and suggestions to wfuad@wfu.edu. We're all in this together!
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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