From the Quad
12/4/2022 4:13:00 PM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Happy Bowl Selection Sunday Deacon Nation,
The Deacs are going back to the Sunshine State! Just a moments ago I received a phone call from Executive Director Scott Glaser inviting Wake Forest to play Missouri of the Southeastern Conference in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 23. I was honored to accept this invitation on behalf of President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., Coach Dave Clawson and our student-athletes. Gametime is 6:30 p.m. on ESPN in Tampa, Fla. at Raymond James Stadium!
As we extend the ACC's second-longest bowl streak to seven seasons, we celebrate 12 Demon Deacons being named All-ACC and a record-setting season inside Truist Field where we hosted a total of 210,350 fans this fall including an average of 3,378 students per game. These passionate crowds, which included three sellouts this fall, and talented student-athletes have helped spur the Deacs to a stellar 20-4 home record since 2019.
With our 2022 football finale just 18 days away, we encourage you to visit Wake Forest's Bowl Central webpage now for details on tickets, travel packages, fun events, and more for all Wake Forest fans, students, alumni, parents, and friends to celebrate together. The Friday, Dec. 23rd date is a perfect way to take advantage of school vacations and have some fun in the sun and still get home in time to put the milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve!
The Gasparilla Bowl presents big opportunities for the Demon Deacons to further establish our brand presence in the college football landscape. We can achieve an eight-win campaign for just the 10th time in program history, Sam Hartman's next TD toss will establish him as the ACC's all time leader in passing touchdowns, and a win would make this only the second season in our history (2008) to include two victories over Southeastern Conference teams!
Whether by plane, train, ferry or automobile, just for gameday or for a few days away with your family and friends, grab your Deacon travel crew and make plans to be in Tampa on Friday, Dec. 23. By purchasing directly through the Wake Forest Ticket Office online or by calling 336-758-3322 ext. 1, you get great options for seating locations, guarantee your tickets, and help Wake Forest exceed its ticket allotment and continue to bolster our bowl attendance reputation.
Hit us up by tagging @DemonDeacons after you buy your tickets and make your travel plans!
Hartman, Proehl Honored in Charlotte
Two Demon Deacons all-time greats were honored Friday night during ACC's annual football awards show in Charlotte. Former standout wide receiver for Wake Forest, Ricky Proehl, was honored this weekend as our ACC Legend. He was greeted with big roar from the crowd inside Bank of America Stadium last night.
Meanwhile, quarterback Sam Hartman became the sixth Demon Deacon to win the Brian Piccolo Award. No one has ever been more deserving of this award, and I encourage you to watch his inspiring story of recovery from August from ESPN and ACC Network with special interviews with Dr. Julie A. Freischlag and Dr. Matthew Goldman of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
Bowl Invite for Football, NIVC for Volleyball Makes it a Postseason Sweep for Fall Sports
Congratulations are in order to all our head coaches and student-athletes as for the first time in Wake Forest history, every one of our fall sports programs (football, field hockey, volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, cross country) earned trips to the postseason! Volleyball, led by ACC Freshman of the Year Emma Farrell, downed MEAC champion Coppin State in the first round of the National Invitation Volleyball Championship on Friday, before falling in a five set duel to Davidson on Saturday. With that, Coach Randi Smart has led the Deacs to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 20 years and we look forward to more progress next season.
Graduation Success Rates Display Continue Success of Deacs in Classroom
Speaking of a World Class Student-Athlete Experience, nine programs recorded a perfect 100 percent on the most recent graduation success rate announced by the NCAA and we had a program record-tying combined 96 percent overall rating! We are proud of the academic accomplishments of our teams and this is a credit to the leadership of our tremendous head coaches and our hard working academic services staff, led by Sr. Associate AD Jane Caldwell.
Exams start tomorrow and we wish Wake Forest students and student-athletes the best of luck. I'm proud of our student-athletes, like our men's basketball team taking their academic commitments seriously as they balance their competition schedule.
Wake Men & Women Lead ACC-B1G Challenge Success; ACC-SEC Challenge Awaits
Big wins this week on the road at Wisconsin for our men's basketball team and at Minnesota for our women's hoops squad, helped our conference claim hardwood supremacy in the final ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Moving forward I appreciate the announcement by ACC Commissioner Dr. Jim Phillips of the formation of the ACC-SEC Challenge beginning next season. Given our mutual partnership with ESPN, including the ACC Network, visibility will continue to elevate for our men's and women's basketball student-athletes for years to come.
Both Hoops Squads Have Busy December Schedule, Men in ATL Next Saturday vs. LSU
Congrats to Coach Megan Gebbia and our Demon Deacons women's hoops squad who earned their fourth-straight home victory with a win over High Point inside Joel Coliseum last night to improve to 6-3 overall.
After a week of exams Coach Steve Forbes' squad hits the road for "Holiday Hoopsgiving'' against LSU in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 10th at 2 p.m. in State Farm Arena in front of an ESPNU audience. Ticket and event info is available here and we invite all Wake fans to a pregame reception at Hudson Grille across from State Farm Arena beginning at noon, Pregame reception tickets are $15 per person and cover food and two drink tickets. Meanwhile, up I-85 our Wake Forest women's team returns to the court a week from today on Sunday, Dec. 11 at Charlotte in a contest that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
After men and women's home games versus Appalachian & Longwood, respectively on Dec. 14 & 15, both teams head north for important matchups with the men at Rutgers on Dec. 17 and the women in Syracuse on Dec. 18. Remember, if you are in the area, when the Deacs are on the road even a handful of passionate fans decked out in Old Gold & Black can make a difference!
Back in Winston-Salem, we'll finish off our December home slate with a Big Four battle in the Joel with men's basketball vs. Duke at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, a 1 p.m. women's game on Dec. 22, our women's home ACC opener Dec. 29 and then a New Year's Eve noon clash for the men with Virginia Tech. Catching Deacon highlights from players like Jewel Spear and Cameron Hildreth, who recently recorded Wake Forest's third ever triple-double provides fun and affordable family holiday activities right here - and you don't have to clean up the kitchen!
The quickest and most efficient way to order single, package and season tickets is to visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets and purchase online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wake Warmth - The Ever Growing Wake Forest Fan Community
As I've visited this fall with fans in their traditional Truist Field parking lot tailgates, in the Forsyth County Farm Bureau Insurance DEACTOWN Fanzone, or on the road or at our soccer, field hockey and volleyball games, I am struck by the passion of the fans from all backgrounds and communities who come together and pull for the Demon Deacons. Some grew up in the Forsyth County area and came to games with a neighbor as a kid, others are far away and picked up their Deacon fandom as a parent of a student or because a high school classmate played for the Deacs long ago. I have had the pleasure of meeting countless Demon Deacons fans all across the country through the years and am always amazed at the diversity and variety of their stories of how their Wake Fandom was launched.
If you have a unique take on how you became a Deac fan, shoot it to me via email at wfuad@wfu.edu or @John_Currie on Twitter. And, the next time you see a "WF" hat at Lowes Foods or a Demon Deacons t-shirt on someone in the airport, give 'em a "Go Deacs" greeting and ask for their story of how they became a Wake Forest fan!
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Happy Bowl Selection Sunday Deacon Nation,
The Deacs are going back to the Sunshine State! Just a moments ago I received a phone call from Executive Director Scott Glaser inviting Wake Forest to play Missouri of the Southeastern Conference in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 23. I was honored to accept this invitation on behalf of President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., Coach Dave Clawson and our student-athletes. Gametime is 6:30 p.m. on ESPN in Tampa, Fla. at Raymond James Stadium!
As we extend the ACC's second-longest bowl streak to seven seasons, we celebrate 12 Demon Deacons being named All-ACC and a record-setting season inside Truist Field where we hosted a total of 210,350 fans this fall including an average of 3,378 students per game. These passionate crowds, which included three sellouts this fall, and talented student-athletes have helped spur the Deacs to a stellar 20-4 home record since 2019.
With our 2022 football finale just 18 days away, we encourage you to visit Wake Forest's Bowl Central webpage now for details on tickets, travel packages, fun events, and more for all Wake Forest fans, students, alumni, parents, and friends to celebrate together. The Friday, Dec. 23rd date is a perfect way to take advantage of school vacations and have some fun in the sun and still get home in time to put the milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve!
The Gasparilla Bowl presents big opportunities for the Demon Deacons to further establish our brand presence in the college football landscape. We can achieve an eight-win campaign for just the 10th time in program history, Sam Hartman's next TD toss will establish him as the ACC's all time leader in passing touchdowns, and a win would make this only the second season in our history (2008) to include two victories over Southeastern Conference teams!
Whether by plane, train, ferry or automobile, just for gameday or for a few days away with your family and friends, grab your Deacon travel crew and make plans to be in Tampa on Friday, Dec. 23. By purchasing directly through the Wake Forest Ticket Office online or by calling 336-758-3322 ext. 1, you get great options for seating locations, guarantee your tickets, and help Wake Forest exceed its ticket allotment and continue to bolster our bowl attendance reputation.
Hit us up by tagging @DemonDeacons after you buy your tickets and make your travel plans!
Hartman, Proehl Honored in Charlotte
Two Demon Deacons all-time greats were honored Friday night during ACC's annual football awards show in Charlotte. Former standout wide receiver for Wake Forest, Ricky Proehl, was honored this weekend as our ACC Legend. He was greeted with big roar from the crowd inside Bank of America Stadium last night.
Meanwhile, quarterback Sam Hartman became the sixth Demon Deacon to win the Brian Piccolo Award. No one has ever been more deserving of this award, and I encourage you to watch his inspiring story of recovery from August from ESPN and ACC Network with special interviews with Dr. Julie A. Freischlag and Dr. Matthew Goldman of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
Bowl Invite for Football, NIVC for Volleyball Makes it a Postseason Sweep for Fall Sports
Congratulations are in order to all our head coaches and student-athletes as for the first time in Wake Forest history, every one of our fall sports programs (football, field hockey, volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, cross country) earned trips to the postseason! Volleyball, led by ACC Freshman of the Year Emma Farrell, downed MEAC champion Coppin State in the first round of the National Invitation Volleyball Championship on Friday, before falling in a five set duel to Davidson on Saturday. With that, Coach Randi Smart has led the Deacs to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 20 years and we look forward to more progress next season.
Graduation Success Rates Display Continue Success of Deacs in Classroom
Speaking of a World Class Student-Athlete Experience, nine programs recorded a perfect 100 percent on the most recent graduation success rate announced by the NCAA and we had a program record-tying combined 96 percent overall rating! We are proud of the academic accomplishments of our teams and this is a credit to the leadership of our tremendous head coaches and our hard working academic services staff, led by Sr. Associate AD Jane Caldwell.
Exams start tomorrow and we wish Wake Forest students and student-athletes the best of luck. I'm proud of our student-athletes, like our men's basketball team taking their academic commitments seriously as they balance their competition schedule.
Wake Men & Women Lead ACC-B1G Challenge Success; ACC-SEC Challenge Awaits
Big wins this week on the road at Wisconsin for our men's basketball team and at Minnesota for our women's hoops squad, helped our conference claim hardwood supremacy in the final ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Moving forward I appreciate the announcement by ACC Commissioner Dr. Jim Phillips of the formation of the ACC-SEC Challenge beginning next season. Given our mutual partnership with ESPN, including the ACC Network, visibility will continue to elevate for our men's and women's basketball student-athletes for years to come.
Both Hoops Squads Have Busy December Schedule, Men in ATL Next Saturday vs. LSU
Congrats to Coach Megan Gebbia and our Demon Deacons women's hoops squad who earned their fourth-straight home victory with a win over High Point inside Joel Coliseum last night to improve to 6-3 overall.
After a week of exams Coach Steve Forbes' squad hits the road for "Holiday Hoopsgiving'' against LSU in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 10th at 2 p.m. in State Farm Arena in front of an ESPNU audience. Ticket and event info is available here and we invite all Wake fans to a pregame reception at Hudson Grille across from State Farm Arena beginning at noon, Pregame reception tickets are $15 per person and cover food and two drink tickets. Meanwhile, up I-85 our Wake Forest women's team returns to the court a week from today on Sunday, Dec. 11 at Charlotte in a contest that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
After men and women's home games versus Appalachian & Longwood, respectively on Dec. 14 & 15, both teams head north for important matchups with the men at Rutgers on Dec. 17 and the women in Syracuse on Dec. 18. Remember, if you are in the area, when the Deacs are on the road even a handful of passionate fans decked out in Old Gold & Black can make a difference!
Back in Winston-Salem, we'll finish off our December home slate with a Big Four battle in the Joel with men's basketball vs. Duke at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, a 1 p.m. women's game on Dec. 22, our women's home ACC opener Dec. 29 and then a New Year's Eve noon clash for the men with Virginia Tech. Catching Deacon highlights from players like Jewel Spear and Cameron Hildreth, who recently recorded Wake Forest's third ever triple-double provides fun and affordable family holiday activities right here - and you don't have to clean up the kitchen!
The quickest and most efficient way to order single, package and season tickets is to visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets and purchase online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wake Warmth - The Ever Growing Wake Forest Fan Community
As I've visited this fall with fans in their traditional Truist Field parking lot tailgates, in the Forsyth County Farm Bureau Insurance DEACTOWN Fanzone, or on the road or at our soccer, field hockey and volleyball games, I am struck by the passion of the fans from all backgrounds and communities who come together and pull for the Demon Deacons. Some grew up in the Forsyth County area and came to games with a neighbor as a kid, others are far away and picked up their Deacon fandom as a parent of a student or because a high school classmate played for the Deacs long ago. I have had the pleasure of meeting countless Demon Deacons fans all across the country through the years and am always amazed at the diversity and variety of their stories of how their Wake Fandom was launched.
If you have a unique take on how you became a Deac fan, shoot it to me via email at wfuad@wfu.edu or @John_Currie on Twitter. And, the next time you see a "WF" hat at Lowes Foods or a Demon Deacons t-shirt on someone in the airport, give 'em a "Go Deacs" greeting and ask for their story of how they became a Wake Forest fan!
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Join us at Wait Chapel tonight at 7 p.m. for the annual Wake Forest Lovefeast which brings the entire community together and recognizes Winston-Salem's Moravian tradition. The event is first come, first seated, and once Wait Chapel reaches capacity, simulcast viewing will be available in Brendle Recital Hall in Scales Fine Arts Center.
- If you are like me and just getting started on your holiday shopping, remember that tickets to Wake Forest events make great stocking stuffers! Also, visit Wake Forest Athletics partners at DeaconShop.com or WakeForestShop.com for all the latest gear!
- Thank a Wake Forest professor for the incredible dedication they show investing in the lives of Wake Forest students - and grading all those exams over the next week!
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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