From the Quad
9/16/2021 12:17:00 PM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
We are gearing up for the ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend with five home contests through Sunday! And, we are making up for some lost time with a 2020 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Friday evening inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, while the Wake Forest Class of 2020, whose senior spring semester was rudely interrupted by the pandemic, will hold graduation ceremonies Saturday morning on Hearn Plaza.
Before we get into all the details, let's have a collective round of applause for this week's announcement of Wake Forest University again being ranked 28th nationally in the U.S. News and World Report's 2022 Best Colleges guide.
This marks the 26th-straight year Wake Forest has been ranked in the top 30 in the national universities category and President Susan R. Wente said it best following the announcement.
"I am pleased that Wake Forest has once again been recognized among the top universities in the nation. Striving for excellence in teaching, research and mentoring is essential and at the core of our academic mission. We have great faculty across our university who take the call to educate and discover seriously, and I am grateful that our collective commitment to a high standard of teaching and learning has been recognized."
We keep good company too, as the Atlantic Coast Conference has now led FBS conferences in best average rank in each of the last 15 years. Studying at one of America's best schools while competing in the ACC under the leadership of elite coaches is what a World Class Student-Athlete Experience is all about.
ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend Kicks Off Tomorrow
With six events over the next three days, Wake Forest students, fans and anyone in the Winston-Salem and Triad community who enjoys big-time sports have their pick of fun and exciting opportunities.
The action starts at 5 p.m. Friday as the women's soccer team opens ACC play with a 5 p.m. start against No. 3-ranked Virginia, while the men's program will host No. 5 Pitt in a match scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Tickets including our new comfortable mesh reserved chairback seats can be purchased here.
Coach Tony da Luz has the only women's team in the country to post a record of 8-0 thus far and the only program to yet concede a goal this season! The Deacs' latest win came over Maryland last Sunday a few days after sophomore Sophie Faircloth's corner kick goal notched the No. 3 spot on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10! Please read about our updated Spry Stadium policies here as we strive to deliver on our goal of providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina for both matches tomorrow!
Inside Reynolds Gymnasium's Varsity Arena at 7 p.m., Coach Smart's 8-2 volleyball team hosts Davidson coming off a home-opening win over North Carolina A&T on Tuesday night. Admission is FREE for all Demon Deacon volleyball matches!
Meanwhile, a star-studded 2020 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame class will be enshrined into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in a 7 p.m. ceremony at LJVM Coliseum. Hall of Fame Ceremony tickets are available to all fans for just $15, but FREE admission is provided for Wake Forest students and fans who show their ticket for Saturday's Florida State football game!
The inductees include Chris Paul, Michael Bingham, Riley Skinner, Sam Swank, Dianne Dailey and Drew Taylor. All six individuals have impacted Wake Forest in immeasurable ways with a myriad of competitive accolades and accomplishments in their respective sports. I am amazed by the quality of candidates and the level of detail that goes into this highly competitive selection process led by our Faculty Athletics Representative and the Chair of our Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Dr. Peter Brubaker.
We'll put an exclamation point on a busy evening with our traditional home football game Friday night fireworks lighting up the night sky over campus!
Big Game Saturday! ACC Football Opener for 2-0 Demon Deacons
All eyes are on Winston-Salem as the Demon Deacons take on the Seminoles in both teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener at 3:30 p.m. live on ESPN. Tickets have been moving fast and we encourage you to arrive early and enjoy live music beginning at 12:30 in the upgraded DEACTOWN Fan Zone presented by Forsyth County Farm Bureau Insurance.
With a capacity crowd expected, we appreciate your patience as our dedicated ushers, security and concessions staff work to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina. Be sure to get to your seat early to bring the energy to create an incredible atmosphere and Demon Deacon home-field advantage!
Limited tickets are available as low as $30 and we ask fans to read about our health and safety policies here and check out this week's "Know Before You Go" fan initiatives story.
Field Hockey Hosts UMass Sunday
The ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend wraps up on Sunday with a noon field hockey match between Wake Forest and UMass that will be broadcast on the ACC Network, after field hockey returns home from its match at Duke tomorrow at 4 p.m. Friday's tilt will mark the Deacons conference opener and Wake Forest Athletics first Big Four match of the 2021-22 academic year! Fans can watch the Deacs take on the Blue Devils on RSN or follow along here.
Fall Cross Country Off and Running This Weekend
Additionally on Friday, Wake Forest's nationally-ranked cross country programs begin their fall slate in Raleigh at the Wolfpack Adidas Cross Country Challenge. Follow @WakeTrack for the results and unique content for our team's opening meet.
Thank You! Tremendous Day of Giving on Tuesday
Earlier this week was Wake Forest University's annual Deacs Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event for the world wide Wake Forest community to provide opportunities for current Demon Deacons through generous donations. Wake Forest fans responded with a remarkable 971 gifts - all online - on Tuesday demonstrating your commitment to a World Class Student-Athlete Experience. Wake Forest's student-athletes, coaches and staff join me in thanking you for your loyalty and generosity.
Big Time Golf at Bryan Park and Old Town Club Coming Up
We are now less than two weeks away from hosting a pair of tournaments with Kim Lewellen's squad first up co-hosting the Bryan National Intercollegiate with UNC-G on Sept. 26-28. We are grateful for the longtime partnership with UNC-G and the Bryan Foundation 23 years of great memories in this special event.
On the men's side, Coach Haas and the Demon Deacons will host the Old Town Club Intercollegiate on Sept. 27-28. It's a special treat for college golfers to compete on one of America's very best nationally ranked courses - which happens to be right next to campus! We appreciate our Old Town partnership. Did you know Arnold Palmer won the 1949 Southern Conference and 1954 ACC Championship right here at OTC?
Both teams opened their fall seasons this week at the Maridoe Collegiate and ANNIKA Intercollegiate, respectively.
Speaking of Mr. Palmer, let's give a tip of the Deacon Top Hat to Will Zalatoris ('18) as he was voted Arnold Palmer Award winner for the 2020-21 season Monday, as the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year! I encourage you to watch this special video message Coach Jerry Haas shared on social media on Monday to congratulate his former student-athlete.
Wake Forest News & Coverage
We continue to get great feedback from fans about the vastly increased Demon Deacon content and information our communications staff, led by associate AD Will Pantages, pumps out every day. Will's talented team of writers, videographers and digital specialists loves sharing Demon Deacon stories though GoDeacs.com, our social media platforms and our free direct emails including From the Quad and daily features from Deacon Sports Xtra.
Additionally, in recent years two internet journalists have significantly upgraded coverage of the Demon Deacons. Both Les Johns with Demon Deacon Digest, and Conor O'Neill, now with DeaconsIllustrated, provide their own take on Wake Forest Athletics. Even though I might occasionally disagree with Conor or Les' assessment or opinions, I appreciate the hours they put in covering the Deacs. We appreciate everyone who covers the Deacs, including WGHP and WXII with whom I did stand up interviews early this morning in front of the Deacon statue and McCreary Tower at Truist Field!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Be safe, send your thoughts to me at wfuad@wfu.edu and...
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
We are gearing up for the ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend with five home contests through Sunday! And, we are making up for some lost time with a 2020 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Friday evening inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, while the Wake Forest Class of 2020, whose senior spring semester was rudely interrupted by the pandemic, will hold graduation ceremonies Saturday morning on Hearn Plaza.
Before we get into all the details, let's have a collective round of applause for this week's announcement of Wake Forest University again being ranked 28th nationally in the U.S. News and World Report's 2022 Best Colleges guide.
This marks the 26th-straight year Wake Forest has been ranked in the top 30 in the national universities category and President Susan R. Wente said it best following the announcement.
"I am pleased that Wake Forest has once again been recognized among the top universities in the nation. Striving for excellence in teaching, research and mentoring is essential and at the core of our academic mission. We have great faculty across our university who take the call to educate and discover seriously, and I am grateful that our collective commitment to a high standard of teaching and learning has been recognized."
We keep good company too, as the Atlantic Coast Conference has now led FBS conferences in best average rank in each of the last 15 years. Studying at one of America's best schools while competing in the ACC under the leadership of elite coaches is what a World Class Student-Athlete Experience is all about.
ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend Kicks Off Tomorrow
With six events over the next three days, Wake Forest students, fans and anyone in the Winston-Salem and Triad community who enjoys big-time sports have their pick of fun and exciting opportunities.
The action starts at 5 p.m. Friday as the women's soccer team opens ACC play with a 5 p.m. start against No. 3-ranked Virginia, while the men's program will host No. 5 Pitt in a match scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Tickets including our new comfortable mesh reserved chairback seats can be purchased here.
Coach Tony da Luz has the only women's team in the country to post a record of 8-0 thus far and the only program to yet concede a goal this season! The Deacs' latest win came over Maryland last Sunday a few days after sophomore Sophie Faircloth's corner kick goal notched the No. 3 spot on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10! Please read about our updated Spry Stadium policies here as we strive to deliver on our goal of providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina for both matches tomorrow!
Inside Reynolds Gymnasium's Varsity Arena at 7 p.m., Coach Smart's 8-2 volleyball team hosts Davidson coming off a home-opening win over North Carolina A&T on Tuesday night. Admission is FREE for all Demon Deacon volleyball matches!
Meanwhile, a star-studded 2020 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame class will be enshrined into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in a 7 p.m. ceremony at LJVM Coliseum. Hall of Fame Ceremony tickets are available to all fans for just $15, but FREE admission is provided for Wake Forest students and fans who show their ticket for Saturday's Florida State football game!
The inductees include Chris Paul, Michael Bingham, Riley Skinner, Sam Swank, Dianne Dailey and Drew Taylor. All six individuals have impacted Wake Forest in immeasurable ways with a myriad of competitive accolades and accomplishments in their respective sports. I am amazed by the quality of candidates and the level of detail that goes into this highly competitive selection process led by our Faculty Athletics Representative and the Chair of our Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Dr. Peter Brubaker.
We'll put an exclamation point on a busy evening with our traditional home football game Friday night fireworks lighting up the night sky over campus!
Big Game Saturday! ACC Football Opener for 2-0 Demon Deacons
All eyes are on Winston-Salem as the Demon Deacons take on the Seminoles in both teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener at 3:30 p.m. live on ESPN. Tickets have been moving fast and we encourage you to arrive early and enjoy live music beginning at 12:30 in the upgraded DEACTOWN Fan Zone presented by Forsyth County Farm Bureau Insurance.
With a capacity crowd expected, we appreciate your patience as our dedicated ushers, security and concessions staff work to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina. Be sure to get to your seat early to bring the energy to create an incredible atmosphere and Demon Deacon home-field advantage!
Limited tickets are available as low as $30 and we ask fans to read about our health and safety policies here and check out this week's "Know Before You Go" fan initiatives story.
Field Hockey Hosts UMass Sunday
The ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend wraps up on Sunday with a noon field hockey match between Wake Forest and UMass that will be broadcast on the ACC Network, after field hockey returns home from its match at Duke tomorrow at 4 p.m. Friday's tilt will mark the Deacons conference opener and Wake Forest Athletics first Big Four match of the 2021-22 academic year! Fans can watch the Deacs take on the Blue Devils on RSN or follow along here.
Fall Cross Country Off and Running This Weekend
Additionally on Friday, Wake Forest's nationally-ranked cross country programs begin their fall slate in Raleigh at the Wolfpack Adidas Cross Country Challenge. Follow @WakeTrack for the results and unique content for our team's opening meet.
Thank You! Tremendous Day of Giving on Tuesday
Earlier this week was Wake Forest University's annual Deacs Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event for the world wide Wake Forest community to provide opportunities for current Demon Deacons through generous donations. Wake Forest fans responded with a remarkable 971 gifts - all online - on Tuesday demonstrating your commitment to a World Class Student-Athlete Experience. Wake Forest's student-athletes, coaches and staff join me in thanking you for your loyalty and generosity.
Big Time Golf at Bryan Park and Old Town Club Coming Up
We are now less than two weeks away from hosting a pair of tournaments with Kim Lewellen's squad first up co-hosting the Bryan National Intercollegiate with UNC-G on Sept. 26-28. We are grateful for the longtime partnership with UNC-G and the Bryan Foundation 23 years of great memories in this special event.
On the men's side, Coach Haas and the Demon Deacons will host the Old Town Club Intercollegiate on Sept. 27-28. It's a special treat for college golfers to compete on one of America's very best nationally ranked courses - which happens to be right next to campus! We appreciate our Old Town partnership. Did you know Arnold Palmer won the 1949 Southern Conference and 1954 ACC Championship right here at OTC?
Both teams opened their fall seasons this week at the Maridoe Collegiate and ANNIKA Intercollegiate, respectively.
Speaking of Mr. Palmer, let's give a tip of the Deacon Top Hat to Will Zalatoris ('18) as he was voted Arnold Palmer Award winner for the 2020-21 season Monday, as the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year! I encourage you to watch this special video message Coach Jerry Haas shared on social media on Monday to congratulate his former student-athlete.
Wake Forest News & Coverage
We continue to get great feedback from fans about the vastly increased Demon Deacon content and information our communications staff, led by associate AD Will Pantages, pumps out every day. Will's talented team of writers, videographers and digital specialists loves sharing Demon Deacon stories though GoDeacs.com, our social media platforms and our free direct emails including From the Quad and daily features from Deacon Sports Xtra.
Additionally, in recent years two internet journalists have significantly upgraded coverage of the Demon Deacons. Both Les Johns with Demon Deacon Digest, and Conor O'Neill, now with DeaconsIllustrated, provide their own take on Wake Forest Athletics. Even though I might occasionally disagree with Conor or Les' assessment or opinions, I appreciate the hours they put in covering the Deacs. We appreciate everyone who covers the Deacs, including WGHP and WXII with whom I did stand up interviews early this morning in front of the Deacon statue and McCreary Tower at Truist Field!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Deacon fans world wide need to have on their #WFFriday Black & Gold tomorrow as we launch this ULTIMATE Deacon Weekend.
- Enjoy an exciting and fun tailgating scene outside Truist Field but get to the gates early to be in your seats for kick-off on Saturday for your Demon Deacons in their ACC opener on Saturday afternoon! Tickets start at just $30 are still available here.
- Join me in thanking Brian (2005 Wake Forest Graduate; 2001 Mount Tabor Graduate) and Shannon Bach, Mit Shah (1991 Wake Forest Graduate; 1987 Mount Tabor Graduate), Jay Randall and a number of other Deacon Club members who have purchased nearly 1,100 tickets for Mount Tabor High School students to attend Saturday's game as they recover from the recent tragedy there. If you would like to participate in this effort, please contact assistant AD Jonathan Hoban (hobanj@wfu.edu; 336-758-4030).
Be safe, send your thoughts to me at wfuad@wfu.edu and...
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