Wake Forest Athletics
From the Quad
11/11/2022 11:58:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
Amidst a packed weekend of Demon Deacons competition, we begin this Veterans Day edition of From the Quad with a simple request for those attending tonight's 8:30 p.m. men's basketball game against the Georgia Bulldogs. As you approach the main entrance of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, I encourage you to pause amongst the individual granite markers and read aloud the name of at least one of the 500 Forsyth County veterans who have died in defense of the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy in our country. We salute the everyday service and sacrifices of our nation's military families, honor our veterans, and remember our heroes, like Winston-Salem's own, Lawrence Joel who you can read about in this 2020 article.
As all Wake Forest history majors know, Veterans Day had its start as "Armistice Day" marking the cessation of World War I at the 11th minute, 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Wake Forest Athletics salutes the bravery and sacrifice of the women and men who have protected our freedoms as members of the United States Armed Forces. We have many special recognitions and moments planned today and tomorrow.
Even with at least five big Deacon contests happening in the next 72 hours, it has already been a busy week beginning this past Monday evening as the Megan Gebbia era tipped off with a resounding victory over Elon and Steve Forbes' men's hoops team earned a dominant win over Fairfield on Opening Night for our basketball programs. It was an exciting beginning to the college basketball season and our student-athletes loved seeing the fan and student support in the Joel! Then last night the ACC's 2021-22 leading scorer, junior Jewel Spear dropped in 23 points to help the Deacs capture Coach Gebbia's first road win at East Carolina.
I'm fired up for an ACC-SEC men's basketball matchup inside Joel Coliseum tonight as we welcome the Dawgs for an 8:30 p.m. tip. Grab some friends and pick up tickets for as low as $20 and join us! We are also offering a special deal where fans can purchase a combo-ticket including tonight's men's basketball and tomorrow's football contest against North Carolina for just $85!
While basketball is just getting underway, many fall sports are in the Win Championships mode!
Coach Jen Averill's nationally-ranked field hockey team is back in the NCAA Tournament for 18th time in program history and faces Saint Joseph at 2:30 p.m. in the Chapel Hill Regional, to be broadcast on ESPN+. The NCAA field hockey tournament features just 18 teams total, which made the moment our student-athletes learned of their selection even more special! A win today would advance the Deacs' to likely face the Tar Heels at noon on Sunday in Chapel Hill.
Speaking of earning an NCAA Tournament bid and a special moment for student-athletes, Coach Tony da Luz and our women's soccer team are headed to the big dance for the second-straight season and the 22nd overall appearance in the program's 29-year history! Tune in Saturday on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. as the Deacs take on South Carolina before you head to Truist Field.
Finally, our ACC Champion men's cross country team, and our talented women's cross country student-athletes, will compete today in Louisville, Ky. at the NCAA Southeast Regional in the hunt for bids to the NCAA Championships next week in Stillwater, Okla. Our men's team won this regional a season ago. I am proud of the job Coach John Hayes and his staff have done in building our cross country programs.
Our men's soccer team won an ACC Tournament match over Virginia Tech on Sunday and a very passionate crowd witnessed a hard-fought loss to Clemson in the league semifinals. Coach Bobby Muuss and his team will await their NCAA Tournament draw on Monday afternoon.
Without further ado, let's get to the updates!
Gridiron Deacs Return to Truist Field for Primetime Matchup with North Carolina
After a pair of difficult road contests the past two weeks, our 6-3 football team returns to the friendly confines of Truist Field for the first time in close to a month. I can't wait to see our captains (Sam Hartman, Michael Jurgens, Blake Whiteheart, Ryan Smenda, Jr., Chase Jones, Rondell Bothroyd) out for the opening coin toss for a great Big Four contest with a national ESPN2 audience looking on and in front of an electric college football atmosphere.
Under Coach Dave Clawson's guidance the Deacs are an astounding 19-3 at Truist Field since the start of the 2019 season. So many factors play into that kind of home success including great leadership and perseverance from Coach Clawson and his staff, the incredible team culture of our student-athletes, and the outstanding fan support from all of you, our loyal Wake Forest supporters. With a sellout crowd expected, our last remaining tickets are selling fast.
Value and Versatility for Next Week's Football Senior Day and Basketball Ticket Packages
Next Saturday we will salute our tremendous football Senior Class when the Deacs battle 6-3 Syracuse for bowl position at 8 p.m. on ACC Network. Our signature four-pack ticket + parking pass packages are still on sale for just $89 and single tickets start at only $25.
And our innovative ticket staff is offering three easy options to choose from for men's basketball season tickets - a full, half, or quarter season ticket membership. Meanwhile, the best way to see your Demon Deacons' women's basketball team this season is by purchasing season tickets with many new and exciting benefits! The quickest and most efficient way to order season tickets is to visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets and purchase online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 and talk with a real live person! Holly John, Blake Buchanan, Carter Birdsall, Kyler Anderson, Traequan Key, Jack Greene, Mark Driscoll and Jon Hoban all love taking care of existing, new and future fans with seamless service. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you need more information ahead of tomorrow's game at Truist Field, our ticket office line opens at 4:30 p.m., three hours prior to kickoff.
Name Image and Likeness Opportunities - An Important Element of World Class Student-Athlete Experience
The national signing period opened this past Wednesday, Nov. 9, for all our sports programs, except football. Our coaches spend countless hours over several years evaluating the most talented prospects in the world to identify the very best who have the character, academic commitment and competitive drive to be Demon Deacons. Of course, those select few who fit our bill are also evaluating us! In my career, I have observed that there are generally five "boxes" that student-athletes seek to "check" as they make their decisions to attend or continue at a particular school:
Since July 1, 2021, a new "sixth" box has emerged as a factor in student-athlete decisions - potential opportunities involving Name, Images & Likeness (NIL). Like the other decision factors, the relative importance of NIL can vary widely depending on the individual student-athlete and sport.
Our internal NIL team, under the leadership of Daren Koudele, Arin Dunn and many others, has worked for several years to build an infrastructure and provide education for student-athletes who wish to engage and pursue NIL activities as permitted under University policy and NCAA regulations. From our dedicated NIL webpage on GoDeacs.com, to the DEACTOWN Marketplace powered by Opendorse, and a group licensing agreement with Brandr that enables student-athletes to benefit through personalized merchandise sales such as these "shirseys" co-branded with the player's last name and the "WF" logo, we are glad to see our our young men and women learning about the brand development business.
Investing in student-athlete NIL opportunities - the sixth box - has become another important way Wake Forest fans are supporting student-athletes. And, NCAA guidance has recently validated the outside "collective" concept to provide student-athletes with more NIL opportunities.
Whether you support Demon Deacon student-athletes by participating in a collective, giving to the Deacon Club, buying tickets and attending games, (or all above!), as we strive toward our goal of A World Class Student-Athlete Experience, we are grateful for Deacon Nation's investments and generosity in Wake Forest athletics success!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
Amidst a packed weekend of Demon Deacons competition, we begin this Veterans Day edition of From the Quad with a simple request for those attending tonight's 8:30 p.m. men's basketball game against the Georgia Bulldogs. As you approach the main entrance of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, I encourage you to pause amongst the individual granite markers and read aloud the name of at least one of the 500 Forsyth County veterans who have died in defense of the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy in our country. We salute the everyday service and sacrifices of our nation's military families, honor our veterans, and remember our heroes, like Winston-Salem's own, Lawrence Joel who you can read about in this 2020 article.
As all Wake Forest history majors know, Veterans Day had its start as "Armistice Day" marking the cessation of World War I at the 11th minute, 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Wake Forest Athletics salutes the bravery and sacrifice of the women and men who have protected our freedoms as members of the United States Armed Forces. We have many special recognitions and moments planned today and tomorrow.
Even with at least five big Deacon contests happening in the next 72 hours, it has already been a busy week beginning this past Monday evening as the Megan Gebbia era tipped off with a resounding victory over Elon and Steve Forbes' men's hoops team earned a dominant win over Fairfield on Opening Night for our basketball programs. It was an exciting beginning to the college basketball season and our student-athletes loved seeing the fan and student support in the Joel! Then last night the ACC's 2021-22 leading scorer, junior Jewel Spear dropped in 23 points to help the Deacs capture Coach Gebbia's first road win at East Carolina.
I'm fired up for an ACC-SEC men's basketball matchup inside Joel Coliseum tonight as we welcome the Dawgs for an 8:30 p.m. tip. Grab some friends and pick up tickets for as low as $20 and join us! We are also offering a special deal where fans can purchase a combo-ticket including tonight's men's basketball and tomorrow's football contest against North Carolina for just $85!
While basketball is just getting underway, many fall sports are in the Win Championships mode!
Coach Jen Averill's nationally-ranked field hockey team is back in the NCAA Tournament for 18th time in program history and faces Saint Joseph at 2:30 p.m. in the Chapel Hill Regional, to be broadcast on ESPN+. The NCAA field hockey tournament features just 18 teams total, which made the moment our student-athletes learned of their selection even more special! A win today would advance the Deacs' to likely face the Tar Heels at noon on Sunday in Chapel Hill.
Speaking of earning an NCAA Tournament bid and a special moment for student-athletes, Coach Tony da Luz and our women's soccer team are headed to the big dance for the second-straight season and the 22nd overall appearance in the program's 29-year history! Tune in Saturday on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. as the Deacs take on South Carolina before you head to Truist Field.
Finally, our ACC Champion men's cross country team, and our talented women's cross country student-athletes, will compete today in Louisville, Ky. at the NCAA Southeast Regional in the hunt for bids to the NCAA Championships next week in Stillwater, Okla. Our men's team won this regional a season ago. I am proud of the job Coach John Hayes and his staff have done in building our cross country programs.
Our men's soccer team won an ACC Tournament match over Virginia Tech on Sunday and a very passionate crowd witnessed a hard-fought loss to Clemson in the league semifinals. Coach Bobby Muuss and his team will await their NCAA Tournament draw on Monday afternoon.
Without further ado, let's get to the updates!
Gridiron Deacs Return to Truist Field for Primetime Matchup with North Carolina
After a pair of difficult road contests the past two weeks, our 6-3 football team returns to the friendly confines of Truist Field for the first time in close to a month. I can't wait to see our captains (Sam Hartman, Michael Jurgens, Blake Whiteheart, Ryan Smenda, Jr., Chase Jones, Rondell Bothroyd) out for the opening coin toss for a great Big Four contest with a national ESPN2 audience looking on and in front of an electric college football atmosphere.
Under Coach Dave Clawson's guidance the Deacs are an astounding 19-3 at Truist Field since the start of the 2019 season. So many factors play into that kind of home success including great leadership and perseverance from Coach Clawson and his staff, the incredible team culture of our student-athletes, and the outstanding fan support from all of you, our loyal Wake Forest supporters. With a sellout crowd expected, our last remaining tickets are selling fast.
Value and Versatility for Next Week's Football Senior Day and Basketball Ticket Packages
Next Saturday we will salute our tremendous football Senior Class when the Deacs battle 6-3 Syracuse for bowl position at 8 p.m. on ACC Network. Our signature four-pack ticket + parking pass packages are still on sale for just $89 and single tickets start at only $25.
And our innovative ticket staff is offering three easy options to choose from for men's basketball season tickets - a full, half, or quarter season ticket membership. Meanwhile, the best way to see your Demon Deacons' women's basketball team this season is by purchasing season tickets with many new and exciting benefits! The quickest and most efficient way to order season tickets is to visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets and purchase online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 and talk with a real live person! Holly John, Blake Buchanan, Carter Birdsall, Kyler Anderson, Traequan Key, Jack Greene, Mark Driscoll and Jon Hoban all love taking care of existing, new and future fans with seamless service. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you need more information ahead of tomorrow's game at Truist Field, our ticket office line opens at 4:30 p.m., three hours prior to kickoff.
Name Image and Likeness Opportunities - An Important Element of World Class Student-Athlete Experience
The national signing period opened this past Wednesday, Nov. 9, for all our sports programs, except football. Our coaches spend countless hours over several years evaluating the most talented prospects in the world to identify the very best who have the character, academic commitment and competitive drive to be Demon Deacons. Of course, those select few who fit our bill are also evaluating us! In my career, I have observed that there are generally five "boxes" that student-athletes seek to "check" as they make their decisions to attend or continue at a particular school:
- The dynamics of the head coach and the student-athlete's relationship with the staff.
- The academic prestige and athletics success of the university.
- Training and competition facilities - the quality and condition of which also represents a visible symbol of commitment of the school to that particular sport.
- The opportunity for playing time and the potential role within the program.
- The quality & prowess of the conference and exciting environment for competition.
Since July 1, 2021, a new "sixth" box has emerged as a factor in student-athlete decisions - potential opportunities involving Name, Images & Likeness (NIL). Like the other decision factors, the relative importance of NIL can vary widely depending on the individual student-athlete and sport.
Our internal NIL team, under the leadership of Daren Koudele, Arin Dunn and many others, has worked for several years to build an infrastructure and provide education for student-athletes who wish to engage and pursue NIL activities as permitted under University policy and NCAA regulations. From our dedicated NIL webpage on GoDeacs.com, to the DEACTOWN Marketplace powered by Opendorse, and a group licensing agreement with Brandr that enables student-athletes to benefit through personalized merchandise sales such as these "shirseys" co-branded with the player's last name and the "WF" logo, we are glad to see our our young men and women learning about the brand development business.
Investing in student-athlete NIL opportunities - the sixth box - has become another important way Wake Forest fans are supporting student-athletes. And, NCAA guidance has recently validated the outside "collective" concept to provide student-athletes with more NIL opportunities.
Whether you support Demon Deacon student-athletes by participating in a collective, giving to the Deacon Club, buying tickets and attending games, (or all above!), as we strive toward our goal of A World Class Student-Athlete Experience, we are grateful for Deacon Nation's investments and generosity in Wake Forest athletics success!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Come out and support Coach Randi Smart and our volleyball team as they host their penultimate home match of the season on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Virginia Tech inside Varsity Arena! Admission is free and our students and fans have created an incredible home-court advantage for our Demon Deacons!
- Share this article on social media about the incredible accomplishments during the fall semester by our women's tennis team. Wake Forest saw its players combine for 34 singles wins and 19 doubles victories in fall play. The highlight of the fall came while hosting the 2022 ITA Carolina Regionals, when the Deacs picked up some hardware through the few days of competition as Maddie Lynch cruised her way to a title win in the B2 Singles flight and Anna Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth were crowned champions of the A2 Doubles division.
- Internationally renowned author Thomas Friedman continues Wake Forest's Face to Face Speaker Series live inside Wait Chapel on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available! Visit Face to Face's website for more information including season subscriptions for the best seats and premium experiences available.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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