From the Quad
1/11/2023 12:00:00 PM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Happy New Year Demon Deacon Nation!
ACC Basketball is heating up and it's almost time to head to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for our ACC Network 9 p.m. tipoff against the Florida State Seminoles! A few tickets for the lower bowl still remain for as low as $30 and hoops fans can also grab our affordable four-pack tickets, which includes a parking pass, for just $109. Spring semester classes started Monday, so we are looking forward to welcoming a boisterous student crowd tonight! As a reminder, our free student shuttles depart continuously from Gully Drive in front of Manchester Athletics Center beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Next up for the Deacs is a trip to Chestnut Hill for Saturday's 8 p.m. tip vs. Boston College. We then welcome current ACC first-place leader Clemson (13-3, 5-0) for another "After Dark" contest on Tuesday as tipoff is set for 9 p.m. Tickets start at just $25!
Currently tied for fifth in the ACC at 11-5 overall and 3-2 in league play, Coach Steve Forbes' squad is playing hard and is now an ACC-best 26-2 at home since the start of the last season (including a perfect 8-0 mark this season). With graduate guard Tyree Appleby leading the team as he was the only player in the ACC averaging 50-45-86 percent shooting splits, the Deacs won on the road at Louisville for the first time in school history over the weekend! Of course, the Deacs closed out 2022 with tremendous energy on New Year's Eve and a huge win over Virginia Tech.
Tonight's home men's game follows an exciting women's hoops win inside LJVM Coliseum where the Deacs, playing without sidelined superstar Jewel Spear, earned their second ACC victory of the season over Georgia Tech on Sunday. We've seen Coach Megan Gebbia's first Wake Forest squad make continuous improvement and our fans are enjoying postgame autograph sessions with our student-athletes, after the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black leads us in the alma mater of course! A great new feature for all fans is Coach Gebbia's live courtside game breakdown for all fans immediately following each contest. Our record-number of season ticket holders for women's basketball are enjoying special inside access like a private dinner with Coach Gebbia, her staff and our student-athletes last week at the Allegacy Club .
The Deacs are battling through a brutal early schedule, with six of our first nine ACC games on the road. Fortunately, we expect a healthy Jewel Spear back in the lineup for the first of three-straight away games tomorrow night at Notre Dame, followed by a trip to Miami on Sunday and a contest at Virginia Tech on Jan. 22. The Deacs will be back in the Joel to take on Louisville at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26. Tickets for that contest can be purchased for $10.
And now, let's get to the rest of the updates!
Opening Night at Truist Field Set for Aug. 31 - 2023 Season Tickets on Sale Now!
As we announced yesterday afternoon, head coach Dave Clawson and our football team will return to Truist Field for Opening Night on Thursday, Aug. 31 to kick off the 2023 season!
The Ticket Purchase Assurance Program is back and once again season tickets are the best way for fans to optimize the value of all of Truist Field's seating options. There are multiple benefits and renewal prizes for season ticket purchasers, including access to the team, tickets to various away football games and much more. Deposits for the 2023 season are now being welcomed for just $50 per seat online at GoDeacs.com/Tickets, while new and existing fans can also email the Wake Forest Ticket Office at tix@wfu.edu or call 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wake Forest's astounding 20-4 Truist Field record since the start of the 2019 season has been fortified by the incredible atmosphere created by Wake Forest's fans and students. Our 19 total wins over the last two years is tied for the ninth-best mark in the Power-5!
Our last three starting quarterbacks have all earned All-ACC honors, dating back to LA Rams QB John Wolford in 2017. Additionally, we are the only school in the conference to average at least 30 points per game in each of the last six years, thanks to the culture created by head coach Dave Clawson, his staff and all the talented student-athletes in the program.
We will honor our 2022 Gasparilla Bowl Champion football team at halftime of our men's basketball game against Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., so make plans now to come hear from Coach Clawson and to thank our players for their effort and success in winning Wake Forest's fifth bowl title in the last seven years. The Deacs' bowl streak is still the ACC's second-longest run and it is tied for the 10th-longest in the country.
Wake Forest Student-Athletes and Name Image Likeness Opportunities
Intercollegiate athletics continues to see rapid change at all levels - from rules interpretations and eligibility, to strengthening the opportunity for us to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience, we must continue to evolve and adapt to this ever-changing environment as we strive to be A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program.
As I shared in a From the Quad back in November, the NCAA's deregulation of rules around Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) in July 2021 allows student-athletes to earn compensation for their NIL in many contexts, including promotional activities and endorsements, appearances, camps and lessons, autographed materials, NFTs and other digital collectibles, trading cards, and other licensed items.
While the landscape is changing fast, and the NIL transition has spawned a sometimes bewildering array of new concepts, companies and schemes, one thing is certain – potential NIL opportunities, including access, is a factor in student-athlete decision making, both in choosing a school or choosing to remain at a school.
I appreciate that Wake Foresters are already rallying to invest in more NIL-related opportunities and support Demon Deacon student-athletes in this manner. Recent guidance from the NCAA national office has clarified the involvement of NIL entities known as collectives, which are third-party groups, separate from a university, as they combine resources and expertise to provide NIL opportunities to student-athletes. Currently two collectives have expressed support for Wake Forest student-athletes, each notable in their own way. Roll The Quad (RolltheQuad.com) has joined the Winston-Salem NIL Club (winstonsalemnilclub.com) in actively working to provide Wake Forest student-athletes with NIL opportunities.
To assist all student-athletes in accessing NIL opportunities, Wake Forest Athletics has facilitated 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 young men and women learning about the brand development business.
Investing in student-athlete NIL opportunities, including buying the "shirsey" of your favorite player, has joined giving to the Deacon Club and buying tickets and attending games as another important way Wake Forest fans are supporting student-athletes. Thank you!
First Pitch at Couch Ballpark Set for Feb. 17
Ticket sales and fan engagement ahead of our nationally-ranked Diamond Deacs hitting the field next month at Couch Ballpark are at a record-setting pace after our ticket office announced innovative season ticketing plans last month. Additionally, single game tickets are now on sale for as low as $5 for a midweek contest and just $10 for ACC and weekend games.
Offensively, Wake Forest returns 75.2 percent of its at-bats, 74.8% of its base hits, 71.8% of its RBIs and 67.2% of its home runs from a season ago when the Demon Deacons made it back to the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, 2022 ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder and a talented group of arms are ready to toe the rubber and get the Deacs off to a great start this spring!
Don't miss out on the opportunity to see this exciting team, and remember that the 'One More Rule' applies to our spring sports as well!
Tennis & Indoor Track & Field Set to Begin Spring Seasons
Speaking of our other spring programs, our No. 14-ranked men's tennis team, our women's tennis squad and the Deacs' indoor track and field programs all begin their spring campaigns this weekend!
Wake Forest's women's squad saw its players combine for 34 singles wins and 19 doubles victories in fall play. Individually, Maddie Lynch led the way with an 8-2 singles record while No. 12-ranked Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth went 7-3 in doubles. On the men's side, Wake Forest returns nine players, including 2022 All-ACC second team honoree Melios Efstathiou and 2022 All-ACC third team selections Jurabek Karimov and Filippo Moroni.
Join us Monday (Jan. 16), as our men's team hosts Tennessee Tech (11 a.m.) and Elon (5 p.m.) inside the Indoor Tennis Center. Reminder, all home tennis matches are FREE for fans!
In track and field, Wake Forest will look to build upon a solid 2022 campaign as the Demon Deacons will return six indoor track & field All-ACC honorees and five outdoor track & field all-conference performers from a season ago between the men's and women's programs. First Team All-American and 2022 ACC Champion Thomas Vanoppen is set to lead our men's team and improve upon his championship performances from a year ago!
WFU and WSSU Host 22nd Annual Joint Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
This Monday, Jan. 16, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University will again celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. together, a tradition that began over two decades ago. Our Intercultural Center and WSSU's Student Activities and Engagement will host two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA World Champion Cup goalkeeper Briana Scurry at 7 p.m. in Wait Chapel. Get there early for this free event which is open to all!
Past speakers have included Bernice King, Dr. Maya Angelou, Michael Eric Dyson, and Harry Belafonte. Additionally, please stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and our social media platforms for inspiring content about Dr. King told by Demon Deacons voices on Monday.
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Although we hope this would never happen in any Wake Forest Athletics competitions, we are fortunate to also have a world class sports medicine staff and partnership with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist which prioritizes safety, training, and readiness. Additionally, all Wake Forest Athletics staff and coaches are required to receive regular CPR and AED training. I encourage everyone to seek the same - it's easy to learn - and you never know when you might need to help a loved one in distress.
Please hug those closest to you, continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me (wfuad@wfu.edu), and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Happy New Year Demon Deacon Nation!
ACC Basketball is heating up and it's almost time to head to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for our ACC Network 9 p.m. tipoff against the Florida State Seminoles! A few tickets for the lower bowl still remain for as low as $30 and hoops fans can also grab our affordable four-pack tickets, which includes a parking pass, for just $109. Spring semester classes started Monday, so we are looking forward to welcoming a boisterous student crowd tonight! As a reminder, our free student shuttles depart continuously from Gully Drive in front of Manchester Athletics Center beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Next up for the Deacs is a trip to Chestnut Hill for Saturday's 8 p.m. tip vs. Boston College. We then welcome current ACC first-place leader Clemson (13-3, 5-0) for another "After Dark" contest on Tuesday as tipoff is set for 9 p.m. Tickets start at just $25!
Currently tied for fifth in the ACC at 11-5 overall and 3-2 in league play, Coach Steve Forbes' squad is playing hard and is now an ACC-best 26-2 at home since the start of the last season (including a perfect 8-0 mark this season). With graduate guard Tyree Appleby leading the team as he was the only player in the ACC averaging 50-45-86 percent shooting splits, the Deacs won on the road at Louisville for the first time in school history over the weekend! Of course, the Deacs closed out 2022 with tremendous energy on New Year's Eve and a huge win over Virginia Tech.
Tonight's home men's game follows an exciting women's hoops win inside LJVM Coliseum where the Deacs, playing without sidelined superstar Jewel Spear, earned their second ACC victory of the season over Georgia Tech on Sunday. We've seen Coach Megan Gebbia's first Wake Forest squad make continuous improvement and our fans are enjoying postgame autograph sessions with our student-athletes, after the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black leads us in the alma mater of course! A great new feature for all fans is Coach Gebbia's live courtside game breakdown for all fans immediately following each contest. Our record-number of season ticket holders for women's basketball are enjoying special inside access like a private dinner with Coach Gebbia, her staff and our student-athletes last week at the Allegacy Club .
The Deacs are battling through a brutal early schedule, with six of our first nine ACC games on the road. Fortunately, we expect a healthy Jewel Spear back in the lineup for the first of three-straight away games tomorrow night at Notre Dame, followed by a trip to Miami on Sunday and a contest at Virginia Tech on Jan. 22. The Deacs will be back in the Joel to take on Louisville at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26. Tickets for that contest can be purchased for $10.
And now, let's get to the rest of the updates!
Opening Night at Truist Field Set for Aug. 31 - 2023 Season Tickets on Sale Now!
As we announced yesterday afternoon, head coach Dave Clawson and our football team will return to Truist Field for Opening Night on Thursday, Aug. 31 to kick off the 2023 season!
The Ticket Purchase Assurance Program is back and once again season tickets are the best way for fans to optimize the value of all of Truist Field's seating options. There are multiple benefits and renewal prizes for season ticket purchasers, including access to the team, tickets to various away football games and much more. Deposits for the 2023 season are now being welcomed for just $50 per seat online at GoDeacs.com/Tickets, while new and existing fans can also email the Wake Forest Ticket Office at tix@wfu.edu or call 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wake Forest's astounding 20-4 Truist Field record since the start of the 2019 season has been fortified by the incredible atmosphere created by Wake Forest's fans and students. Our 19 total wins over the last two years is tied for the ninth-best mark in the Power-5!
Our last three starting quarterbacks have all earned All-ACC honors, dating back to LA Rams QB John Wolford in 2017. Additionally, we are the only school in the conference to average at least 30 points per game in each of the last six years, thanks to the culture created by head coach Dave Clawson, his staff and all the talented student-athletes in the program.
We will honor our 2022 Gasparilla Bowl Champion football team at halftime of our men's basketball game against Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., so make plans now to come hear from Coach Clawson and to thank our players for their effort and success in winning Wake Forest's fifth bowl title in the last seven years. The Deacs' bowl streak is still the ACC's second-longest run and it is tied for the 10th-longest in the country.
Wake Forest Student-Athletes and Name Image Likeness Opportunities
Intercollegiate athletics continues to see rapid change at all levels - from rules interpretations and eligibility, to strengthening the opportunity for us to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience, we must continue to evolve and adapt to this ever-changing environment as we strive to be A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program.
As I shared in a From the Quad back in November, the NCAA's deregulation of rules around Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) in July 2021 allows student-athletes to earn compensation for their NIL in many contexts, including promotional activities and endorsements, appearances, camps and lessons, autographed materials, NFTs and other digital collectibles, trading cards, and other licensed items.
While the landscape is changing fast, and the NIL transition has spawned a sometimes bewildering array of new concepts, companies and schemes, one thing is certain – potential NIL opportunities, including access, is a factor in student-athlete decision making, both in choosing a school or choosing to remain at a school.
I appreciate that Wake Foresters are already rallying to invest in more NIL-related opportunities and support Demon Deacon student-athletes in this manner. Recent guidance from the NCAA national office has clarified the involvement of NIL entities known as collectives, which are third-party groups, separate from a university, as they combine resources and expertise to provide NIL opportunities to student-athletes. Currently two collectives have expressed support for Wake Forest student-athletes, each notable in their own way. Roll The Quad (RolltheQuad.com) has joined the Winston-Salem NIL Club (winstonsalemnilclub.com) in actively working to provide Wake Forest student-athletes with NIL opportunities.
To assist all student-athletes in accessing NIL opportunities, Wake Forest Athletics has facilitated 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 young men and women learning about the brand development business.
Investing in student-athlete NIL opportunities, including buying the "shirsey" of your favorite player, has joined giving to the Deacon Club and buying tickets and attending games as another important way Wake Forest fans are supporting student-athletes. Thank you!
First Pitch at Couch Ballpark Set for Feb. 17
Ticket sales and fan engagement ahead of our nationally-ranked Diamond Deacs hitting the field next month at Couch Ballpark are at a record-setting pace after our ticket office announced innovative season ticketing plans last month. Additionally, single game tickets are now on sale for as low as $5 for a midweek contest and just $10 for ACC and weekend games.
Offensively, Wake Forest returns 75.2 percent of its at-bats, 74.8% of its base hits, 71.8% of its RBIs and 67.2% of its home runs from a season ago when the Demon Deacons made it back to the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, 2022 ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder and a talented group of arms are ready to toe the rubber and get the Deacs off to a great start this spring!
Don't miss out on the opportunity to see this exciting team, and remember that the 'One More Rule' applies to our spring sports as well!
Tennis & Indoor Track & Field Set to Begin Spring Seasons
Speaking of our other spring programs, our No. 14-ranked men's tennis team, our women's tennis squad and the Deacs' indoor track and field programs all begin their spring campaigns this weekend!
Wake Forest's women's squad saw its players combine for 34 singles wins and 19 doubles victories in fall play. Individually, Maddie Lynch led the way with an 8-2 singles record while No. 12-ranked Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth went 7-3 in doubles. On the men's side, Wake Forest returns nine players, including 2022 All-ACC second team honoree Melios Efstathiou and 2022 All-ACC third team selections Jurabek Karimov and Filippo Moroni.
Join us Monday (Jan. 16), as our men's team hosts Tennessee Tech (11 a.m.) and Elon (5 p.m.) inside the Indoor Tennis Center. Reminder, all home tennis matches are FREE for fans!
In track and field, Wake Forest will look to build upon a solid 2022 campaign as the Demon Deacons will return six indoor track & field All-ACC honorees and five outdoor track & field all-conference performers from a season ago between the men's and women's programs. First Team All-American and 2022 ACC Champion Thomas Vanoppen is set to lead our men's team and improve upon his championship performances from a year ago!
WFU and WSSU Host 22nd Annual Joint Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
This Monday, Jan. 16, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University will again celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. together, a tradition that began over two decades ago. Our Intercultural Center and WSSU's Student Activities and Engagement will host two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA World Champion Cup goalkeeper Briana Scurry at 7 p.m. in Wait Chapel. Get there early for this free event which is open to all!
Past speakers have included Bernice King, Dr. Maya Angelou, Michael Eric Dyson, and Harry Belafonte. Additionally, please stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and our social media platforms for inspiring content about Dr. King told by Demon Deacons voices on Monday.
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- The ACC Tournaments are back in Greensboro! Support the Deacs at the 2023 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament (March 1-5) and the 2023 New York Life ACC Men's Tournament (March 7-11), both at the Greensboro Coliseum!
- As progress on the 4th Quarter Drive continues, a big THANK YOU is due all Deacon Club members who have invested in Wake Forest student-athletes. Please click here to contribute to these special projects which will allow us to continue to deliver on our core goals. Please reach out to your Deacon Club representative or contact the main office at (336) 758- 5626 / deacclub@wfu.edu with any questions.
- Subscribe to our free daily Deacon Sports Xtra as it arrives in your inbox every weekday morning at 7 a.m, for you to enjoy with your morning coffee. It's a fantastic way to stay current and get to know your Demon Deacons.
Although we hope this would never happen in any Wake Forest Athletics competitions, we are fortunate to also have a world class sports medicine staff and partnership with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist which prioritizes safety, training, and readiness. Additionally, all Wake Forest Athletics staff and coaches are required to receive regular CPR and AED training. I encourage everyone to seek the same - it's easy to learn - and you never know when you might need to help a loved one in distress.
Please hug those closest to you, continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me (wfuad@wfu.edu), and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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