Groundbreaking of McCreary Football Complex Marks Historic Moment for Wake Forest
2/11/2022 1:24:00 PM | Football, General
New building will bring total investment in Demon Deacon football facilities to more than $100 million over the last seven years.
Renderings are available here: https://go.wfu.edu/mccrearyrenderings/
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University will break ground on Saturday for the McCreary Football Complex. Thanks to the leadership generosity of Bob ('61) and Michele McCreary and many generous donors, great progress is being made on the 4th Quarter Drive to improve upon the World Class Student-Athlete Experience provided to Demon Deacons student-athletes.
Construction on the McCreary Complex is underway and the ceremonial groundbreaking will be held onsite, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 1 Wellman Way adjacent to the Sutton Sports Performance Center.
The McCreary Football Complex is fully funded by donor gifts and the project was unanimously approved by the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees at its October 2021 meeting. The $38 million total project price tag includes all design, construction, maintenance and operational support, and no long-term debt will be incurred.
Plans for the facility include:
The McCreary Football Complex will be connected to the McCreary Football Field House, which is the Deacs indoor practice facility. Opened in the spring of 2016, the 80,000-square foot structure features a 120-yard football field for Demon Deacons Athletics.
Along with the Sutton Sports Performance Center and renovations to the Doc Martin Practice Fields, and the two aforementioned facilities, Wake Forest has invested more than $100 million in football facilities over the last seven years.
The new McCreary Football Complex will replace the Mark C. Pruitt Football Center's Peahead Walker Football Locker Room originally constructed in 1988.
"This is about creating a home for the football players," Bob McCreary said at the time of the announcement of his $20 million gift. "For these young men to be together and to share thoughts and ideas after a practice or a game is important. That is how you build relationships."
Wake Forest Football Overview
Wake Forest recorded one of its two best seasons in program history last fall as the Deacons won the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division title and the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Championship.
After leading the Deacs to a program-record tying 11-3 record, including a school-best 7-1 mark in ACC play, head coach Dave Clawson was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year by the ACC and the Associated Press. That marked the ninth time a Wake Forest head coach has been honored as the ACC Football Coach of the Year and the first since 2006.
After reaching a program record sixth-straight bowl game in 2021 and defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, 38-10, inside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Wake Forest has the second-longest run in the ACC, trailing just Clemson, and Clawson owns the school record for bowl victories with four (2016 Military Bowl, 2017 Belk Bowl, 2018 Birmingham Bowl, 2021 Gator Bowl).
Wake Forest's six-year record of 45-30 is the most sustained success the Deacons have earned in program history. Overall within the ACC, Clemson and Wake Forest are the only football programs to rank inside of the top four in win totals over a two-year, three-year, four-year, five-year and six-year period, respectively.
The Deacs are 15-2 at home since the start of the 2019 season and the nine-game win streak is tied for the 10th longest in FBS entering the 2022 season. Additionally with a perfect 6-0 mark in 2021, Wake Forest recorded its first undefeated home record for the first time since 1979 and just the third time since Wake Forest's 1970 ACC Championship team. Meanwhile, six home wins last fall ties the program record that was set in 2019.
Nationally after climbing into the top 10 of the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Poll in 2021, Wake Forest achieved its highest ranking in the College Football Playoff Poll in school history when the first ranking was released on Nov. 2, 2021, as the Demon Deacons were tabbed as the No. 9 that week according to the CFP selection committee. Wake Forest ended last fall ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Poll, which marks the highest ranking to end a season in program history.
Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero have engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set over 350 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs are the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year since 2017. Specifically in 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg.
That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. In the College Football Playoff Era, Wake Forest is one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
2022 Schedule
While the excitement from the 2021 football season can still be felt across the Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad communities, it's time for Deacon Nation to start making their plans for the 2022 football season.
Additionally, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that Wake Forest's spring game will be played on Saturday, April 16 and will be broadcast on ACC Network. This will be a part of Wake Forest Athletics Spring Ultimate Deacon Weekend, with baseball and men's and women's tennis also with home competition on April 15-17.
Fall weekend plans can now come to the forefront as the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its complete 2022 schedule on Monday evening. Wake Forest will play seven home games at Truist Field for the first time since 2019 beginning with Opening Night on Thursday, Sept. 1 against VMI.
The Saturday, Sept. 18 matchup against Liberty will be the centerpiece of Wake Forest Homecoming Weekend and the Deacs home game against North Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 12 will be Wake Forest's annual Unrivaled Weekend.
Options for the annual Wake Forest Family Weekend are currently being explored; the date will be announced as soon as details are finalized, and no later than the end of February.
Game times and broadcast networks dates will be announced at a later date.
Wake Forest 2022 Football Schedule:
There are many exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for season ticket members, including access to the team, tickets to various away football games, and much more. Season ticket holders also receive earlier access to single game ticket sales and package opportunities. For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext 1 or tix@wfu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Season Tickets Auto-Renewal Program
Season ticket purchasers may also elect to take their commitment a step further by enrolling in the auto-renewal program. Benefits of the auto-renewal program include:
Multiple sellouts are expected next fall with an excellent home schedule, and season tickets are the best way for fans to optimize the value of all of Truist Field's seating options and pricing.
There are multiple exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for those who purchase season tickets that include access to the team, tickets to various away football games and much more.
Important Upcoming Dates:
If tickets are purchased prior to the above dates, those fans are eligible for all prizes corresponding to that time frame and for the remaining prize opportunities as well.
Payment Plan Details
As in previous years, payment plans are available to Wake Forest football season ticket holders. Purchasers can opt in to a payment plan online or by speaking with a ticket office representative. The 2022 payment plan schedule for auto-renewal and traditional purchases are as follows:
Auto-Renewal, One-Installment Group: Paid in full at time of purchase for new customers; returning auto-renewal one-installment customers are charged in full on April 15, 2022.
Four-Installment Payment Plan (auto-renewal, or regular purchase) four equal payments charged on April 15, May 16, June 15, and July 15, 2022.
Ticket Purchase Assurance Plan
The Ticket Purchase Assurance Program will be back in 2022 to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina for all fans. Ticket holders who purchased directly through Wake Forest will continue to have their tickets protected with the TPA program.
This peace-of-mind initiative allows fans the ability to exchange purchased tickets from a home contest they can no longer attend for any reason toward the purchase of tickets to another home game at Truist Field. Additionally, if for some reason any portion of the 2022 schedule does not take place or if capacity restrictions change throughout the season due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, ticket holders who purchased directly through Wake Forest will continue to have their tickets protected with the TPA program.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University will break ground on Saturday for the McCreary Football Complex. Thanks to the leadership generosity of Bob ('61) and Michele McCreary and many generous donors, great progress is being made on the 4th Quarter Drive to improve upon the World Class Student-Athlete Experience provided to Demon Deacons student-athletes.
Construction on the McCreary Complex is underway and the ceremonial groundbreaking will be held onsite, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 1 Wellman Way adjacent to the Sutton Sports Performance Center.
The McCreary Football Complex is fully funded by donor gifts and the project was unanimously approved by the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees at its October 2021 meeting. The $38 million total project price tag includes all design, construction, maintenance and operational support, and no long-term debt will be incurred.
Plans for the facility include:
- 60,000 new square feet adjoining the existing McCreary Football Field House and Sutton Sports Performance Center.
- Locker space for 130 student-athletes.
- Player lounge with a nutrition station, recovery area, and entertainment area.
- Football athletic training/treatment space.
- Hot and cold plunge pool area.
- Equipment center and loading dock.
- Multipurpose space seating up to 200 for team meals, meetings, functions and other activities for all Demon Deacon programs.
- Construction Timeline:
- Site work started on December 14, 2021.
- Structural foundations are scheduled to start mid-March.
- Structural Steel will arrive onsite late April and the building will start going vertical.
- Building temp dry-in for finishes are slated for August.
- The McCreary Complex is scheduled to be finished in December 2022.
- Construction Facts
- Approx 17,000 cubic yards of dirt will be displaced when work has concluded.
- Estimated at 12,500 square feet, a total of 84,000 bricks will be used to build this facility.
- Structural components will include 385 tons of steel.
- Prentiss ('65, P '89, P '90, GP '16, GP '21, GP '24) and Joan (P '89, P '90, GP '16, GP '21, GP '24) Baker.
- John (P '21, P '23, P '24) and Loree (P '21, P '23, P '24) Eckstein
- Alan Fox ('78, MBA '81, P '12)
- Robert McCreary
- JJ ('83, P '23) and Kaye ('84, P '23) Smith
- Ben ('80, JD '83, P '14, P '16, P '19) and Sally (P '14, P '16, P '19) Sutton
The McCreary Football Complex will be connected to the McCreary Football Field House, which is the Deacs indoor practice facility. Opened in the spring of 2016, the 80,000-square foot structure features a 120-yard football field for Demon Deacons Athletics.
Along with the Sutton Sports Performance Center and renovations to the Doc Martin Practice Fields, and the two aforementioned facilities, Wake Forest has invested more than $100 million in football facilities over the last seven years.
The new McCreary Football Complex will replace the Mark C. Pruitt Football Center's Peahead Walker Football Locker Room originally constructed in 1988.
"This is about creating a home for the football players," Bob McCreary said at the time of the announcement of his $20 million gift. "For these young men to be together and to share thoughts and ideas after a practice or a game is important. That is how you build relationships."
Wake Forest Football Overview
Wake Forest recorded one of its two best seasons in program history last fall as the Deacons won the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division title and the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Championship.
After leading the Deacs to a program-record tying 11-3 record, including a school-best 7-1 mark in ACC play, head coach Dave Clawson was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year by the ACC and the Associated Press. That marked the ninth time a Wake Forest head coach has been honored as the ACC Football Coach of the Year and the first since 2006.
After reaching a program record sixth-straight bowl game in 2021 and defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, 38-10, inside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Wake Forest has the second-longest run in the ACC, trailing just Clemson, and Clawson owns the school record for bowl victories with four (2016 Military Bowl, 2017 Belk Bowl, 2018 Birmingham Bowl, 2021 Gator Bowl).
Wake Forest's six-year record of 45-30 is the most sustained success the Deacons have earned in program history. Overall within the ACC, Clemson and Wake Forest are the only football programs to rank inside of the top four in win totals over a two-year, three-year, four-year, five-year and six-year period, respectively.
The Deacs are 15-2 at home since the start of the 2019 season and the nine-game win streak is tied for the 10th longest in FBS entering the 2022 season. Additionally with a perfect 6-0 mark in 2021, Wake Forest recorded its first undefeated home record for the first time since 1979 and just the third time since Wake Forest's 1970 ACC Championship team. Meanwhile, six home wins last fall ties the program record that was set in 2019.
Nationally after climbing into the top 10 of the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Poll in 2021, Wake Forest achieved its highest ranking in the College Football Playoff Poll in school history when the first ranking was released on Nov. 2, 2021, as the Demon Deacons were tabbed as the No. 9 that week according to the CFP selection committee. Wake Forest ended last fall ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Poll, which marks the highest ranking to end a season in program history.
Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero have engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set over 350 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs are the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year since 2017. Specifically in 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg.
That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. In the College Football Playoff Era, Wake Forest is one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
2022 ScheduleWhile the excitement from the 2021 football season can still be felt across the Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad communities, it's time for Deacon Nation to start making their plans for the 2022 football season.
Additionally, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that Wake Forest's spring game will be played on Saturday, April 16 and will be broadcast on ACC Network. This will be a part of Wake Forest Athletics Spring Ultimate Deacon Weekend, with baseball and men's and women's tennis also with home competition on April 15-17.
Fall weekend plans can now come to the forefront as the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its complete 2022 schedule on Monday evening. Wake Forest will play seven home games at Truist Field for the first time since 2019 beginning with Opening Night on Thursday, Sept. 1 against VMI.
The Saturday, Sept. 18 matchup against Liberty will be the centerpiece of Wake Forest Homecoming Weekend and the Deacs home game against North Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 12 will be Wake Forest's annual Unrivaled Weekend.
Options for the annual Wake Forest Family Weekend are currently being explored; the date will be announced as soon as details are finalized, and no later than the end of February.
Game times and broadcast networks dates will be announced at a later date.
Wake Forest 2022 Football Schedule:
- Thursday, Sept. 1 -- Opening Night at Truist Field vs.VMI
- Saturday, Sept. 10 -- at Vanderbilt
- Saturday, Sept. 17 -- vs. Liberty
- Homecoming Weekend
- Saturday, Sept. 24 – vs. Clemson
- Saturday, Oct. 1 -- at Florida State
- Saturday, Oct. 8 – vs. Army
- Saturday, Oct. 22 – vs. Boston College
- Saturday, Oct. 29 – at Louisville
- Saturday, Nov. 5 – at NC State
- Saturday, Nov. 12 – vs. North Carolina
- Unrivaled Weekend
- Saturday, Nov. 19 – vs. Syracuse
- Senior Day
- Saturday, Nov. 26 – at Duke
There are many exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for season ticket members, including access to the team, tickets to various away football games, and much more. Season ticket holders also receive earlier access to single game ticket sales and package opportunities. For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext 1 or tix@wfu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Season Tickets Auto-Renewal Program
Season ticket purchasers may also elect to take their commitment a step further by enrolling in the auto-renewal program. Benefits of the auto-renewal program include:
- Convenience - You'll no longer need to worry about missing renewal deadlines, as the automatic payment will ensure you get your tickets ordered on time.
- Flexible payment options - You can choose to make a one-time auto-renewal payment or break it up into four installments (April, May, June, and July).
- Avoid renewal reminders - You won't receive reminder emails, phone calls and mailings in regards to renewing your tickets while also having peace of mind knowing your order is all set.
- Early renewal date - For general public season ticket holders, seat assignments are based upon the date the order is placed- secure the earliest order date year after year by joining the auto-renewal program.
Multiple sellouts are expected next fall with an excellent home schedule, and season tickets are the best way for fans to optimize the value of all of Truist Field's seating options and pricing.
There are multiple exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for those who purchase season tickets that include access to the team, tickets to various away football games and much more.
Important Upcoming Dates:
- January 31:
- 2022 Season Tickets on Sale
- February 1:
- Single Game Tickets on Sale for Opening Night at Truist Field vs. VMI on Thursday, Sept. 1 and vs Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 17.
- February 16:
- First Season Ticket Early Purchase Incentive Deadline
- March 2:
- Second Season Ticket Early Purchase Incentive Deadline
- March 23:
- Third Season Ticket Early Purchase Incentive Deadline
- April 20:
- Final Season Ticket Early Purchase Incentive Deadline
- May 4:
- Season Ticket Priority Deadline- order by May 4 to have your season tickets assigned on priority.
- May 9:
- Four-Pack Tickets on Sale (Details Revealed Following 2022 Schedule Announcement)
- May 11:
- Four-Pack Tickets on Sale (Details Revealed Following 2022 Schedule Announcement)
- May 13:
- Four-Pack Tickets on Sale (Details Revealed Following 2022 Schedule Announcement)
- June 1:
- Select ACC Contest & Army Single Games Tickets on Sale to Season Ticket Holders and Deacon Club Members (Details Revealed Following 2022 Schedule Announcement)
- June 6:
- Select ACC Contest & Army Single Games Tickets on Sale to Alumni, Faculty and Staff (Details Revealed Following 2022 Schedule Announcement)
- June 15:
- Final Day Prior to $10 Increase on Four-Pack Ticket Packages
- June 22:
- Select ACC Contest & Army Single Games Tickets on Sale to General Public (Details Revealed Following 2022 Schedule Announcement)
- August 17:
- Final Day Prior to $10 Increase on Four-Pack Ticket Packages
- September 14:
- Final Day Prior to $10 Increase on Four-Pack Ticket Packages
If tickets are purchased prior to the above dates, those fans are eligible for all prizes corresponding to that time frame and for the remaining prize opportunities as well.
Payment Plan Details
As in previous years, payment plans are available to Wake Forest football season ticket holders. Purchasers can opt in to a payment plan online or by speaking with a ticket office representative. The 2022 payment plan schedule for auto-renewal and traditional purchases are as follows:
Auto-Renewal, One-Installment Group: Paid in full at time of purchase for new customers; returning auto-renewal one-installment customers are charged in full on April 15, 2022.
Four-Installment Payment Plan (auto-renewal, or regular purchase) four equal payments charged on April 15, May 16, June 15, and July 15, 2022.
Ticket Purchase Assurance Plan
The Ticket Purchase Assurance Program will be back in 2022 to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina for all fans. Ticket holders who purchased directly through Wake Forest will continue to have their tickets protected with the TPA program.
This peace-of-mind initiative allows fans the ability to exchange purchased tickets from a home contest they can no longer attend for any reason toward the purchase of tickets to another home game at Truist Field. Additionally, if for some reason any portion of the 2022 schedule does not take place or if capacity restrictions change throughout the season due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, ticket holders who purchased directly through Wake Forest will continue to have their tickets protected with the TPA program.
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