From the Quad
7/16/2021 1:19:00 PM | General
Good afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
Can you believe that seven weeks from tonight we'll be back in DEACTOWN for Opening Night at Truist Field, presented by Lowes Food, with a veteran Demon Deacon squad taking on Old Dominion at 7 p.m.? A limited number of $59 Opening Night four packs remain - buy some for family and friends before the price goes up! Remember, season tickets start at just $120 - only $20 per game. Click here for all the great options!
July 1, 2021 marked the official start of Dr. Susan R. Wente's Wake Forest presidency. Between trying to keep up with President Wente's awesome fast pace, and welcoming several hundred Demon Deacon student-athletes to campus for the second session of summer school that includes physicals, workouts, etc., it has been a while since we last came to you From the Quad! There is too much great stuff to share in one FTQ, so I am going to hit a few highlights today and come back with more over the next few weeks - here we go!
BOOM! Wake Forest Athletics Donors Reach All-Time Record Annual Total of $37.5 Million!
Incredibly, total cash gifts to Wake Forest Athletics increased by $14.5 million - 63% - this year versus the previous year when the books on FY21 were closed June 30! I am so grateful for our loyal and generous Deacon Club members, parents, alumni athletes, fans and friends who served as the catalyst enabling Wake Forest Athletics to sprint out of the pandemic. We pledge to be careful stewards of the hard-earned dollars you have shared which provide strategic investments in technology, health, strength training, summer school and incredible facilities providing a competitive advantage and a World Class Student-Athlete Experience at Wake Forest.
Barry Faircloth, Mike Piscetelli and our entire Deacon Club staff are simply the best in the country. The whole crew showed their adaptability and dedication by creating innovative ways to stay connected and deepen personal relationships despite the year long COVID travel ban. Special thanks as well to Deacon Club President Robin Team, the Deacon Club Board of Directors and our army of volunteers for their leadership and service. Encourage your friends to visit the Deacon Club website and let's get started on another record year today!
And how about this big announcement from Wake Forest Associate Provost Christina Soriano of a $1 million gift from anonymous donors to support the Interdisciplinary Arts Center (IAC) and its commitment to integrating the arts across all corners of campus, in the classroom and in the community for both Wake Forest and the city of Winston-Salem. Regardless of how you choose to support Wake Forest students, student-athletes and faculty, thank you!
Wake Forest Welcomes New President, Dr. Susan R. Wente
Thursday, July 1 was a historic moment for our University as we welcomed the 14th President of Wake Forest University, Dr. Susan R. Wente. She spoke inspiringly to the Demon Deacon football team on July 6 - her simple, "I want to win," comment immediately revealed her extreme competitiveness, and her expectations! Two days later, I had the privilege to take President Wente on a whirlwind facility tour. Watch our video recap here as it was fun to introduce Dr. Wente to head men's golf coach, Jerry Haas, and head women's golf coach, Kim Lewellen, at the Haddock House before heading to the Sutton Sports Performance Center and into the Christian McCreary Nutrition Zone to learn how student-athletes are fueled from Wake Forest Sports Dietitians Tiffany Campbell and Mackenzie Bowman. She took in a football recruiting film in Baker Auditorium and checked out the Shah Basketball Complex before we went over to David Couch Ballpark and the Chris Hurd Player Development Center where head baseball coach Tom Walter, Dr. Kristen Nicholson, athletic trainer Jeff Strahm and staff explained how the Pitching Lab provides unrivaled development for baseball student-athletes.
Dr. Wente is virtually engaging Deacon Nation too, so follow @PresidentWente on Twitter and Instagram. Here is the special message she sent to the entire Wake Forest community at the conclusion of her first day!
College Athletics Landscape Evolves with New Name, Image and Likeness Legislation (NIL)
A new era of expanded opportunities for student-athletes began June 30, when the NCAA Board of Directors voted to liberalize NCAA Bylaw 12 effective July 1, 2021. You may be asking yourself what does all of this mean for Wake Forest and college athletics in general? Essentially, student-athletes and prospective student-athletes may now earn compensation (e.g., cash, gifts in-kind, or other benefits) for their NIL activities without compromising their collegiate eligibility. Examples of permissible NIL activities include advertising commercial products or services, social media endorsements, lessons and camps/clinics.
Led by senior associate AD Daren Koudele, our compliance staff worked throughout the Fourth of July weekend to formulate a new Wake Forest Athletics NIL policy guiding student-athletes on the dos and don'ts related to this new legislation. We have garnered input from our student-athletes through multiple meetings and Zoom calls and held a webinar for their parents to help convey disclosure requirements, compensation guidelines and other aspects of NIL related activities. The opportunity to compete in the highest level of college athletics while earning a degree from Wake Forest, a top-30 national university, offers enormous value to student-athletes. We are committed to our ongoing work to protect and increase the value of the student-athlete experience, within the spirit of Pro Humanitate and the values of Wake Forest.
Big Month for Pro Deacs, Veteran and New!
Tomorrow, we will all be tuning into the NBA Finals Game 5 as Chris Paul and Jeff Teague are each just two wins away from a championship. Coach Jen Hoover is just back from Vegas where she watched Dearica Hamby in the WNBA All-Star game, and a trio of Demon Deacons competed in the U.S. Open last month and a few are now competing in the British Open this weekend. And congratulations to Ryan Cusick for being selected in the first round and the five Demon Deacons overall who were picked in the 2021 MLB Draft. We are proud of the success of Pro Deacs competing in all sports 'round the world!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Have a safe and restful weekend, and...
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Can you believe that seven weeks from tonight we'll be back in DEACTOWN for Opening Night at Truist Field, presented by Lowes Food, with a veteran Demon Deacon squad taking on Old Dominion at 7 p.m.? A limited number of $59 Opening Night four packs remain - buy some for family and friends before the price goes up! Remember, season tickets start at just $120 - only $20 per game. Click here for all the great options!
July 1, 2021 marked the official start of Dr. Susan R. Wente's Wake Forest presidency. Between trying to keep up with President Wente's awesome fast pace, and welcoming several hundred Demon Deacon student-athletes to campus for the second session of summer school that includes physicals, workouts, etc., it has been a while since we last came to you From the Quad! There is too much great stuff to share in one FTQ, so I am going to hit a few highlights today and come back with more over the next few weeks - here we go!
BOOM! Wake Forest Athletics Donors Reach All-Time Record Annual Total of $37.5 Million!
Incredibly, total cash gifts to Wake Forest Athletics increased by $14.5 million - 63% - this year versus the previous year when the books on FY21 were closed June 30! I am so grateful for our loyal and generous Deacon Club members, parents, alumni athletes, fans and friends who served as the catalyst enabling Wake Forest Athletics to sprint out of the pandemic. We pledge to be careful stewards of the hard-earned dollars you have shared which provide strategic investments in technology, health, strength training, summer school and incredible facilities providing a competitive advantage and a World Class Student-Athlete Experience at Wake Forest.
Barry Faircloth, Mike Piscetelli and our entire Deacon Club staff are simply the best in the country. The whole crew showed their adaptability and dedication by creating innovative ways to stay connected and deepen personal relationships despite the year long COVID travel ban. Special thanks as well to Deacon Club President Robin Team, the Deacon Club Board of Directors and our army of volunteers for their leadership and service. Encourage your friends to visit the Deacon Club website and let's get started on another record year today!
And how about this big announcement from Wake Forest Associate Provost Christina Soriano of a $1 million gift from anonymous donors to support the Interdisciplinary Arts Center (IAC) and its commitment to integrating the arts across all corners of campus, in the classroom and in the community for both Wake Forest and the city of Winston-Salem. Regardless of how you choose to support Wake Forest students, student-athletes and faculty, thank you!
Wake Forest Welcomes New President, Dr. Susan R. Wente
Thursday, July 1 was a historic moment for our University as we welcomed the 14th President of Wake Forest University, Dr. Susan R. Wente. She spoke inspiringly to the Demon Deacon football team on July 6 - her simple, "I want to win," comment immediately revealed her extreme competitiveness, and her expectations! Two days later, I had the privilege to take President Wente on a whirlwind facility tour. Watch our video recap here as it was fun to introduce Dr. Wente to head men's golf coach, Jerry Haas, and head women's golf coach, Kim Lewellen, at the Haddock House before heading to the Sutton Sports Performance Center and into the Christian McCreary Nutrition Zone to learn how student-athletes are fueled from Wake Forest Sports Dietitians Tiffany Campbell and Mackenzie Bowman. She took in a football recruiting film in Baker Auditorium and checked out the Shah Basketball Complex before we went over to David Couch Ballpark and the Chris Hurd Player Development Center where head baseball coach Tom Walter, Dr. Kristen Nicholson, athletic trainer Jeff Strahm and staff explained how the Pitching Lab provides unrivaled development for baseball student-athletes.
Dr. Wente is virtually engaging Deacon Nation too, so follow @PresidentWente on Twitter and Instagram. Here is the special message she sent to the entire Wake Forest community at the conclusion of her first day!
College Athletics Landscape Evolves with New Name, Image and Likeness Legislation (NIL)
A new era of expanded opportunities for student-athletes began June 30, when the NCAA Board of Directors voted to liberalize NCAA Bylaw 12 effective July 1, 2021. You may be asking yourself what does all of this mean for Wake Forest and college athletics in general? Essentially, student-athletes and prospective student-athletes may now earn compensation (e.g., cash, gifts in-kind, or other benefits) for their NIL activities without compromising their collegiate eligibility. Examples of permissible NIL activities include advertising commercial products or services, social media endorsements, lessons and camps/clinics.
Led by senior associate AD Daren Koudele, our compliance staff worked throughout the Fourth of July weekend to formulate a new Wake Forest Athletics NIL policy guiding student-athletes on the dos and don'ts related to this new legislation. We have garnered input from our student-athletes through multiple meetings and Zoom calls and held a webinar for their parents to help convey disclosure requirements, compensation guidelines and other aspects of NIL related activities. The opportunity to compete in the highest level of college athletics while earning a degree from Wake Forest, a top-30 national university, offers enormous value to student-athletes. We are committed to our ongoing work to protect and increase the value of the student-athlete experience, within the spirit of Pro Humanitate and the values of Wake Forest.
Big Month for Pro Deacs, Veteran and New!
Tomorrow, we will all be tuning into the NBA Finals Game 5 as Chris Paul and Jeff Teague are each just two wins away from a championship. Coach Jen Hoover is just back from Vegas where she watched Dearica Hamby in the WNBA All-Star game, and a trio of Demon Deacons competed in the U.S. Open last month and a few are now competing in the British Open this weekend. And congratulations to Ryan Cusick for being selected in the first round and the five Demon Deacons overall who were picked in the 2021 MLB Draft. We are proud of the success of Pro Deacs competing in all sports 'round the world!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Spread the word about our 2020-21 Black & Golden Globe Award winners including Zach Facioni and Ivana Raca garnering the prestigious Arnold Palmer and Marge Crisp Awards! Additionally, help me congratulate Machop Chol (men's soccer) and Emilia Migliaccio (women's golf) as the second-ever male and female to win the Ron & Linda Wellman Life Teammate Awards.
- Remind a friend about unique and affordable ticket options for all fans to ensure they have a seat inside Truist Field this fall. Athletics is planning for 100 percent capacity at Spry Soccer Stadium this fall with brand new reserved chair back seats and numerous ticket options available for fans to enjoy Demon Deacon soccer!
- Our grassroots initiatives from 2019 have returned and Wake Forest's outstanding Fan Experience staff has been going door-to-door in Winston-Salem to distribute Demon Deacon football information and yard signs. Get a FREE DEACTOWN yard sign by visiting GoDeacs.com/YardSign or get a DEACTOWN fan box with a flag here.
Have a safe and restful weekend, and...
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
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