From the Quad
9/11/2020 4:52:00 PM | General
September 11, 2020
Good Evening Demon Deacon Nation!
GameDay is finally here - literally and figuratively!
It's hard to articulate my emotions last night as the Demon Deacons took the pitch for our women's soccer match against Duke in Spry Stadium. It's been a long, long, long time since March 11 when Wake Forest baseball played our last contest before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of our 2020 spring seasons. From President Hatch all the way down the line, the Wake Forest community has persevered, adapted and marched forward, despite a few skeptics who said it could not be done.
Additionally, earlier on Thursday we walked outside Manchester Athletic Center and watched the Deacon on his motorcycle leading the iconic ESPN GameDay bus up Wingate Road. To see Wake Forest students having fun, lining up—socially distanced and masked of course—for a free College GameDay t-shirt and to snap a photo to be able to share with their friends and family back home reminded us of how college athletics can bring our community together and provide memorable moments amidst an unprecedented time.
This moment, with the eyes of the college football world upon us, matters to our fans, to our community, to our University and to our coaches and student-athletes. Each of us has arrived at this moment with high expectations and the resilience required to persevere through deeply challenging times, as the swirl of a pandemic, recession, and deep civil discord are all mixed into this moment. I am proud beyond words of how our student-athletes have performed. They have taken ownership of this moment and done all the little things to stay together, stay healthy and stay committed to the values that hold us as a community—Pro Humanitate. Getting to know them as I have, you would find them to be exactly the kind of people you want representing this great University.
Of course the uniquely American blend of higher education and elite athletics presents a unique intersection of opinions and perspectives, passionately held and shaped by personal and generational experiences. As I said in our social justice awareness release yesterday, Wake Forest student-athletes are smart, curious and care about the world and issues beyond the locker room, playing courts and fields. Their desire to call attention to systemic issues of racial injustice is another affirmation of Pro Humanitate. Some will be visible and passionate, others will be quiet and reserved. Many have embraced the phrase Black Lives Matter as a rallying cry to raise awareness and promote dignity for all. But, in the social media age it can be difficult to truly extend the conversation to understand intent and nuance beyond words, which in turn may cause discomfort for many valued members of our community. Wake Forest Athletics does not endorse specific political organizations, but we do respect each other's experiences and opinions, which is how we can achieve progress together.
Dr. Nathan Hatch championed many of these ideas during his 2018 commencement speech on Hearn Plaza. As part of our goal of providing A World Class Student-Athlete Experience, Wake Forest Athletics routinely has guest speakers address its staff and student-athletes. Recent speakers include Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Jennifer Martin of the Winston-Salem District Attorney office, Chief of the Wake Forest Police Dept. Regina Lawson and members from the Safe Office.
Let's continue to share ideas and listen respectfully to build a stronger community.
GameDay, ABC National Spotlight Upon Winston-Salem, Wake Forest
They have come to OUR city! ESPN College GameDay and the ABC Saturday Night Primetime crew are here in Winston-Salem and our football program has moved to the center of the college football universe and will host the No.1-ranked Clemson Tigers tomorrow night!
It's amazing to see College GameDay's iconic set sitting on the 50-yard line inside Truist Field with background views of the Bob McCreary Videoboard Honoring the Class of 1961. College GameDay will air on ESPN from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. with the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black and the Wake Forest cheer and dance teams adding to the festivities on Truist Field.
Wake Forest and the city of Winston-Salem are extremely proud to have Chris Paul represent Deacon Nation as the guest picker on the show. Through his philanthropy, work in the community and generosity with his time and giving, his on-court accomplishments are only surpassed by the servant-leadership that Chris, his wife Jada and the entire Paul family display in their actions daily.
While I wish our passionate student body and fans could attend College GameDay and the football game in person, I know Deacon Nation will still cherish this opportunity to showcase the University and the city of Winston-Salem in front of a national audience.
Although tailgating or parking in any lots off Deacon Blvd, including Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is prohibited, Athletics and University leadership have created many unique opportunities to engage with Wake Forest students, staff and the entire Winston-Salem and Triad communities to provide The Best Fan Experience in North Carolina.
Complete student and community engagement details are within this link, but here are a couple of unique items I want to pull out and share!
I'm grateful to all the members of the Wake Forest athletics staff, our grounds and maintenance team, the Wake Forest & Winston-Salem police departments, Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift and his staff, and many, many more who have teamed together to make this weekend happen.
Wake Forest Day of Giving:
Tuesday, Sept. 8 marked Wake Forest University's annual Deacs Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event allowing the Wake Forest community to provide opportunities for current Deacs. For the second year, Wake Forest Athletics and the Deacon Club emphasized giving to sport-specific Excellence Funds, designed to allow supporters to give directly to the sport program of their choice and help continue to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.
Thanks to the generosity of Wake Forest supporters and alumni, Demon Deacon Athletics received 350 gifts on Deacs Day of Giving totaling over $116,000. If you missed out on Tuesday's event, there's still plenty of time to make an impact on our World Class Student-Athlete Experience through DeaconClub.com.
Alum Kupcho & senior Migliaccio at the LPGA ANA!
Former Wake Forest women's golfer and current LPGA member Jennifer Kupcho and current women's golfer and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president Emilia Migliaccio teed off yesterday at the 2020 ANA Inspiration major championship. Migliaccio earned an exemption into the event based on her No. 4 World Amateur Ranking, which is the highest of any U.S. woman! The event is being aired live on the Golf Channel throughout the weekend.
Remembering 9/11
Before closing, today marks the 19th anniversary of a day we will never forget; a day that changed our country forever. I have accepted the challenge from the "No Fear" Battalion (Wake Forest ROTC) to walk 2977 steps, run 2977 meters, or climb 2977 steps in remembrance of those we lost on Sept. 11, 2011. We appreciate the "No Fear Battalion" for leading this unique and memorable tribute for the Winston-Salem community so that the heroes of 9/11 are never forgotten. We are incredibly grateful to the men and women of our armed forces who dedicate their lives to protecting our country and enabling us to enjoy freedoms and special traditions.
As always, keep wearing masks! Send your questions and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Evening Demon Deacon Nation!
GameDay is finally here - literally and figuratively!
It's hard to articulate my emotions last night as the Demon Deacons took the pitch for our women's soccer match against Duke in Spry Stadium. It's been a long, long, long time since March 11 when Wake Forest baseball played our last contest before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of our 2020 spring seasons. From President Hatch all the way down the line, the Wake Forest community has persevered, adapted and marched forward, despite a few skeptics who said it could not be done.
Additionally, earlier on Thursday we walked outside Manchester Athletic Center and watched the Deacon on his motorcycle leading the iconic ESPN GameDay bus up Wingate Road. To see Wake Forest students having fun, lining up—socially distanced and masked of course—for a free College GameDay t-shirt and to snap a photo to be able to share with their friends and family back home reminded us of how college athletics can bring our community together and provide memorable moments amidst an unprecedented time.
This moment, with the eyes of the college football world upon us, matters to our fans, to our community, to our University and to our coaches and student-athletes. Each of us has arrived at this moment with high expectations and the resilience required to persevere through deeply challenging times, as the swirl of a pandemic, recession, and deep civil discord are all mixed into this moment. I am proud beyond words of how our student-athletes have performed. They have taken ownership of this moment and done all the little things to stay together, stay healthy and stay committed to the values that hold us as a community—Pro Humanitate. Getting to know them as I have, you would find them to be exactly the kind of people you want representing this great University.
Of course the uniquely American blend of higher education and elite athletics presents a unique intersection of opinions and perspectives, passionately held and shaped by personal and generational experiences. As I said in our social justice awareness release yesterday, Wake Forest student-athletes are smart, curious and care about the world and issues beyond the locker room, playing courts and fields. Their desire to call attention to systemic issues of racial injustice is another affirmation of Pro Humanitate. Some will be visible and passionate, others will be quiet and reserved. Many have embraced the phrase Black Lives Matter as a rallying cry to raise awareness and promote dignity for all. But, in the social media age it can be difficult to truly extend the conversation to understand intent and nuance beyond words, which in turn may cause discomfort for many valued members of our community. Wake Forest Athletics does not endorse specific political organizations, but we do respect each other's experiences and opinions, which is how we can achieve progress together.
Dr. Nathan Hatch championed many of these ideas during his 2018 commencement speech on Hearn Plaza. As part of our goal of providing A World Class Student-Athlete Experience, Wake Forest Athletics routinely has guest speakers address its staff and student-athletes. Recent speakers include Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Jennifer Martin of the Winston-Salem District Attorney office, Chief of the Wake Forest Police Dept. Regina Lawson and members from the Safe Office.
Let's continue to share ideas and listen respectfully to build a stronger community.
GameDay, ABC National Spotlight Upon Winston-Salem, Wake Forest
They have come to OUR city! ESPN College GameDay and the ABC Saturday Night Primetime crew are here in Winston-Salem and our football program has moved to the center of the college football universe and will host the No.1-ranked Clemson Tigers tomorrow night!
It's amazing to see College GameDay's iconic set sitting on the 50-yard line inside Truist Field with background views of the Bob McCreary Videoboard Honoring the Class of 1961. College GameDay will air on ESPN from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. with the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black and the Wake Forest cheer and dance teams adding to the festivities on Truist Field.
Wake Forest and the city of Winston-Salem are extremely proud to have Chris Paul represent Deacon Nation as the guest picker on the show. Through his philanthropy, work in the community and generosity with his time and giving, his on-court accomplishments are only surpassed by the servant-leadership that Chris, his wife Jada and the entire Paul family display in their actions daily.
While I wish our passionate student body and fans could attend College GameDay and the football game in person, I know Deacon Nation will still cherish this opportunity to showcase the University and the city of Winston-Salem in front of a national audience.
Although tailgating or parking in any lots off Deacon Blvd, including Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is prohibited, Athletics and University leadership have created many unique opportunities to engage with Wake Forest students, staff and the entire Winston-Salem and Triad communities to provide The Best Fan Experience in North Carolina.
Complete student and community engagement details are within this link, but here are a couple of unique items I want to pull out and share!
- Winston-Salem & Wake Forest University Branding:
- Whether you are a student on our beautiful Reynolda Campus or headed to Wake Downtown and Innovation Quarter, keep your eyes out for Wake Forest-College GameDay branded light pole and bridge banners, concrete decals and window clings, and the Gameday logo painted at Bailey Park!
- Virtual Pep Rally tonight at 9 p.m.
- Wake Forest students, faculty and staff are invited to kick off this historic weekend in Winston-Salem with a "watch where you are" virtual pep rally at 9 p.m. tonight. This event will feature performances from the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black and all Wake Forest Spirit Groups. Additionally, fans will hear special messages from Coach Dave Clawson, student-athletes on the Deacs' football team and members of ESPN's College GameDay crew. The virtual event will conclude with a live firework display over Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus and music that will stream live over the broadcast!
- While this event is intended for students, anyone can watch through the link that will be posted in the Screamin' Demon Rewards App, or on Twitter at @ScrDemonRewards.
- Truist Drive-In | Saturday at 9 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. (parking starts two hours before the event)
- Wake Forest has partnered with Truist to create a one-of-a-kind watch party for College GameDay Built by the Home Depot and ABC Saturday Night Football on Saturday morning and evening. These unique experiences will be operated by our excellent partners Focus Events and The Drive at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. Additionally, it is exclusive to Wake Forest students, faculty, staff, season ticket holders, Deacon Virtual Ticket Holders and Deacon Club members.
- #WFGameday Videoboard Activation | Saturday at 9 a.m.
- Wake Forest fans watching from home will still be able to engage with the broadcast by tagging and tweeting photos of how they are watching using #WFGameday. Select photos will be shown on the videoboard behind the College GameDay set throughout the show.
- Deacon Virtual Season Ticket Pre-Game Show
- An exclusive 95-minute pre-game show known as Deacon Gameday LIVE will broadcast live from Truist Field on gameday to our Deacon Virtual Season Ticket (DVST) holders. This broadcast will provide interviews with players and coaches and a live feed of pre-game warmups, the SOTOGAB pregame show, the team intro video, and Open the Gate. A brief halftime segment will help set up the second half. This will air live in the DVST Fan Hub mobile app and desktop site.
I'm grateful to all the members of the Wake Forest athletics staff, our grounds and maintenance team, the Wake Forest & Winston-Salem police departments, Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift and his staff, and many, many more who have teamed together to make this weekend happen.
Wake Forest Day of Giving:
Tuesday, Sept. 8 marked Wake Forest University's annual Deacs Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event allowing the Wake Forest community to provide opportunities for current Deacs. For the second year, Wake Forest Athletics and the Deacon Club emphasized giving to sport-specific Excellence Funds, designed to allow supporters to give directly to the sport program of their choice and help continue to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.
Thanks to the generosity of Wake Forest supporters and alumni, Demon Deacon Athletics received 350 gifts on Deacs Day of Giving totaling over $116,000. If you missed out on Tuesday's event, there's still plenty of time to make an impact on our World Class Student-Athlete Experience through DeaconClub.com.
Alum Kupcho & senior Migliaccio at the LPGA ANA!
Former Wake Forest women's golfer and current LPGA member Jennifer Kupcho and current women's golfer and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president Emilia Migliaccio teed off yesterday at the 2020 ANA Inspiration major championship. Migliaccio earned an exemption into the event based on her No. 4 World Amateur Ranking, which is the highest of any U.S. woman! The event is being aired live on the Golf Channel throughout the weekend.
Remembering 9/11
Before closing, today marks the 19th anniversary of a day we will never forget; a day that changed our country forever. I have accepted the challenge from the "No Fear" Battalion (Wake Forest ROTC) to walk 2977 steps, run 2977 meters, or climb 2977 steps in remembrance of those we lost on Sept. 11, 2011. We appreciate the "No Fear Battalion" for leading this unique and memorable tribute for the Winston-Salem community so that the heroes of 9/11 are never forgotten. We are incredibly grateful to the men and women of our armed forces who dedicate their lives to protecting our country and enabling us to enjoy freedoms and special traditions.
As always, keep wearing masks! Send your questions and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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Football Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10
Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10