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From the Quad
12/18/2023 10:37:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
Let's start off today's From the Quad with a big round of applause for our world-class Wake Forest Faculty - most of whom probably spent all weekend grading final exams, projects and papers from a busy fall semester! With the support of senior associate AD Jane Caldwell and her incredible staff, Demon Deacon student-athletes continue to perform at a super high level, which is highlighted again in a couple of paragraphs down the page.
And, while young girls and boys throughout DEACTOWN USA eagerly await the arrival of the big fella in the red suit just a week from today, our operations and Fan Experience staffs are hard at work getting ready to host you inside Joel Coliseum for three games over the course of the next four days, beginning tonight as our men's team plays host to Delaware State at 7 p.m. in a contest that will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
Since I last wrote to you From The Quad, Coach Steve Forbes has welcomed Efton Reid III to the court after his immediate eligibility waiver was approved thanks to skilled work led by Deputy AD Lindsey Babcock and senior associate AD Daren Koudele. Efton's impact was immediate as he tallied 14 rebounds, 12 points and 2 blocks in just 28 minutes to help the Deacons capture an important win over Big Ten Conference foe Rutgers back on Dec. 6.
Then, last Saturday night Wake Forest men's basketball beat NJIT fueled by across-the-board outstanding play to run its record to 36-5 inside LJVM since the start of the 2021-22 season.
That game last Saturday night included a breakout performance from true freshman Parker Friedrichsen, who drained five-of-six shots from beyond the arc for a career-high 19 points. His efforts accompanied the usual solid performances of Andrew Carr, Cameron Hildreth, Boopie Miller, Hunter Sallis and Zach Keller as the Deacs remained undefeated against non-conference competition inside Joel Coliseum during the Steve Forbes era.
But, my favorite part of last Saturday night's hoops game against NJIT was the hundreds of fourth graders and their families from across the area who poured into our arena as part of the long running Skip Prosser Read Challenge, which continues to be stewarded by longtime Wake Forest education professor, Dr. Alan Brown. To see the smiles on those faces, many of whom were experiencing their first ever Deacon game, as they danced and sang throughout the seating bowl during timeouts to the music of our courtside DJ reminds us of how Wake Forest basketball has the power to bring our community together like nothing else.
And now that your kids and grandkids are on winter break and bouncing off the walls fueled by candy canes and cookies, get them out of the house and over to the Joel this Thursday for a great basketball doubleheader starting at 12 noon as Coach Megan Gebbia's women's team takes on Marshall followed by the men's team playing Presbyterian. One ticket gets you into both games!
Here's an idea - host an extended family reunion at the Joel! It's easy, inexpensive family fun - and you don't even have to cook or clean up! In fact, since my uncles, Tommy and Hoke Currie, are both Presbyterian grads, we'll have over 20 Currie family cousins from all over the state of North Carolina inside Joel Coliseum Thursday's games. I think I'll serve them hot dogs and popcorn, Mayberry ice cream, and of course, some Deacon Brew!
Tickets for the Thursday afternoon doubleheader are as low as $10 and as always 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.
Speaking of creating environments, our talented staff unveiled the promotional schedule for home ACC games earlier this week. Our 10 league games inside Joel Coliseum begin on Saturday, Dec. 30 against Virginia Tech. Click here to read about our very cool Student for a Day promotion.
Tickets to a Demon Deacons ballgame make great stocking stuffers! Recently we announced that our home game versus Duke on Feb. 24, which is presented by Allegacy Federal Credit Union, will be our second Tie Dye game of 2023-24 and part two of Wake the Nation! As such, go ahead and take advantage of this Tie Dye ticket promotion!
Our games bring a bit of fun for everyone as it was great to see President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. and Dean Corey D. B. Walker host our Divinity School students, alumni and friends at our home women's hoops game just over a week ago!
As we strive to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina, remember to be on the lookout for our periodic postgame surveys in your email inbox. Please provide your feedback and suggestions to help us continue to better serve you, your family and friends. Or, feel free to email your thoughts to wfsports@wfu.edu anytime!
ACC MBB Slate Opens With Virginia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 30 as Wake Honors Law Enforcement
Be inside Joel Coliseum next Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. as ACC play begins for our men's team with the Hokies coming to town. With that, I am grateful for the leadership and partnership of Wake Forest Assistant VP & Chief of Police Regina Lawson, Winston-Salem Chief of Police William H. Penn, Jr. and Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough, Jr. The holiday season puts extra stress on our hard-working officers and deputies and as a way to say thanks, and with the support of Deacon Club members and our Learfield Wake Forest Sports Properties partners, we want to host hundreds of local law enforcement family members for the aforementioned Virginia Tech game. Click here if you'd like to donate a ticket for this effort and we'll salute the force next Saturday!
Deacs Set Highest Graduation Success Rate for Fourth-Straight Year
Speaking of high-achieving academic success, seven Wake Forest Athletics programs recorded a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate and the Demon Deacons combined for an overall GSR score of 96 percent in the latest data released by the NCAA from the 2013-16 cohorts. We are proud of the academic accomplishments of our teams and the fact that seven of the 14 teams had a perfect GSR score of 100 and 11 of them are above 90. The overall score of 96 tied a program record keeping with our vision of A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program.
In football, Wake Forest is one of only six FBS schools (Duke; Northwestern; Stanford; Notre Dame; Vanderbilt) with an overall GSR of greater than 96 in each of the past four reports!
State of North Carolina Leaders Honor 2023 NCAA Women's Golf Champs
Just about 10 days ago, I was honored to join reigning 2023 WGCA National Coach of the Year Kim Lewellen and NCAA Champion Emilia Migliaccio as our title-winning program was honored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation with a resolution approving our National Champion highway signs! Honk your horn when you see them installed early in 2024.
Syd Kitson ('81, P '08) Named TIME Dreamer of the Year
This year's TIME and American Family Insurance Dreamer of the Year is our very own, Syd Kitson. After his time at Wake Forest and in the NFL, Syd became a groundbreaking real estate developer. His ambitious project, Babcock Ranch, is a sustainable, master-planned community in southwest Florida – a blueprint that has come to life through his innovative vision. Babcock Ranch is the first solar-powered town in America, spanning over 18,000 acres and taking over eight years to come to fruition. The development provides a model for sustainable living by integrating green technologies and eco-friendly practices into its design and operation.
We are excited to honor Syd as our Gene Hooks Lifetime Achievement Award recipient this spring and we are so proud to spotlight his Pro Humanitate efforts!
National Signing Day for Football on Deck
Over the last two weekends, I have had the great pleasure of participating in a Saturday morning breakfast with football recruits and their families. I believe head coach Dave Clawson is the best evaluator of both character and talent in all of college football and I'm excited about his 11th recruiting class who will ink their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Coverage of all the signees with highlights and complete biographical information will be shared on social media and GoDeacs.com.
Big Picture Reflections - The College Football Playoff & NCAA President Baker's "Letter"
Two especially big stories over the last few weeks were the CFP selections -- which disappointingly did not include 13-0 ACC champion FSU – and a letter from NCAA President Charlie Baker socializing a new NCAA subdivision.
I share the feelings of ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Florida State AD Michael Alford following the exclusion of the Seminoles from the College Football Playoff. The ACC defeated the Southeastern Conference in six of 10 meetings on the field this season, including our lopsided victory over Vanderbilt, and FSU's wins over LSU and Florida. Under Coach Clawson, Wake is a perfect 4-0 against teams from the SEC, including multiple wins over Vanderbilt and bowl wins over Texas A&M (Belk, 2017) and Missouri (Gasparilla, 2022).
We are all looking forward to next year when the ACC champion will be guaranteed a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. The ACC led the Power Five conferences with 11 teams making bowl games this holiday season thanks in part to a very strong non-conference winning percentage. Having played in seven-straight bowl games from 2016-22, I know our players and coaches are excited to start a new streak next season.
Then on Dec. 5, NCAA President Charlie Baker shared a concept that would create a new subdivision of NCAA Division I. While there are a number of legal and other issues still to address, and there are still many, many complexities and ramifications to consider, I salute President Baker for having the courage to elevate the discussion outside of the same-old track. At Wake Forest, we are uncompromising in our commitment to a true academically based student-athlete experience, and steadfast in our determination to continue to excel at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
Wake Forest Announces Innovative Annual Seat Rights Program for Allegacy Stadium
In the continued efforts to provide Best Fan Experience in North Carolina, our forward-thinking staff has created an Annual Seat Rights program at the request of loyal Deacon fans who want to lock in their seat location every year, but might not feel they are in a position to make a 10-or-15 year seat rights commitment. With nine sold out games since 2021 and exciting upcoming home matchups against our traditional and new ACC foes as well as upcoming SEC and Big Ten opponents like Ole Miss, Purdue and Maryland in future years, season tickets through the annual seat rights program is a great way for fans to optimize the value of an Allegacy Stadium experience.
The Annual Seat Rights program enables fans to lock in their seating location on an annual basis rather than having their seats reassigned ahead of each season. The only seat rights option prior to this announcement was a multi-year seating commitment. Fans are encouraged to learn more by clicking here.
As in years past, we have multiple exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for those who purchase season tickets, including access to the team, tickets to away football games and much more! With 2.7 million fans worldwide, our fan base is the fastest growing in the ACC and Power Five and with the effort of our football student-athletes, our spirit squads and the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black, Allegacy Stadium has become one of the best home field advantages in college football as the Deacs are 23-7 at home since 2019.
Season ticket renewals and new sales will begin on Monday, Jan. 8 and we expect to announce our full 2024 football schedule at the end of next month! Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and our social media platforms for more information.
Record Ticket Sales for Demon Deacons Baseball as 2024 Season Approaches
After just a month, baseball season ticket sales have increased 104% year-over-year and with nearly 1,000 new season tickets sold for the 2024 season! With 33 home games on the schedule, including home series matchups with Clemson, UNC, Duke, and Florida State, David F. Couch Ballpark is poised to be a popular spot for Deacon fans in 2024.
Here's a fun video our talented creative team put together with our student-athletes to unveil our home schedule. Season tickets start at $150 for general admission and $175 for reserved chairback seating! Call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 or click here to purchase.
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Drive safely to the Joel tonight and as always, please continue to send your thoughts to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
Let's start off today's From the Quad with a big round of applause for our world-class Wake Forest Faculty - most of whom probably spent all weekend grading final exams, projects and papers from a busy fall semester! With the support of senior associate AD Jane Caldwell and her incredible staff, Demon Deacon student-athletes continue to perform at a super high level, which is highlighted again in a couple of paragraphs down the page.
And, while young girls and boys throughout DEACTOWN USA eagerly await the arrival of the big fella in the red suit just a week from today, our operations and Fan Experience staffs are hard at work getting ready to host you inside Joel Coliseum for three games over the course of the next four days, beginning tonight as our men's team plays host to Delaware State at 7 p.m. in a contest that will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
Since I last wrote to you From The Quad, Coach Steve Forbes has welcomed Efton Reid III to the court after his immediate eligibility waiver was approved thanks to skilled work led by Deputy AD Lindsey Babcock and senior associate AD Daren Koudele. Efton's impact was immediate as he tallied 14 rebounds, 12 points and 2 blocks in just 28 minutes to help the Deacons capture an important win over Big Ten Conference foe Rutgers back on Dec. 6.
Then, last Saturday night Wake Forest men's basketball beat NJIT fueled by across-the-board outstanding play to run its record to 36-5 inside LJVM since the start of the 2021-22 season.
That game last Saturday night included a breakout performance from true freshman Parker Friedrichsen, who drained five-of-six shots from beyond the arc for a career-high 19 points. His efforts accompanied the usual solid performances of Andrew Carr, Cameron Hildreth, Boopie Miller, Hunter Sallis and Zach Keller as the Deacs remained undefeated against non-conference competition inside Joel Coliseum during the Steve Forbes era.
But, my favorite part of last Saturday night's hoops game against NJIT was the hundreds of fourth graders and their families from across the area who poured into our arena as part of the long running Skip Prosser Read Challenge, which continues to be stewarded by longtime Wake Forest education professor, Dr. Alan Brown. To see the smiles on those faces, many of whom were experiencing their first ever Deacon game, as they danced and sang throughout the seating bowl during timeouts to the music of our courtside DJ reminds us of how Wake Forest basketball has the power to bring our community together like nothing else.
And now that your kids and grandkids are on winter break and bouncing off the walls fueled by candy canes and cookies, get them out of the house and over to the Joel this Thursday for a great basketball doubleheader starting at 12 noon as Coach Megan Gebbia's women's team takes on Marshall followed by the men's team playing Presbyterian. One ticket gets you into both games!
Here's an idea - host an extended family reunion at the Joel! It's easy, inexpensive family fun - and you don't even have to cook or clean up! In fact, since my uncles, Tommy and Hoke Currie, are both Presbyterian grads, we'll have over 20 Currie family cousins from all over the state of North Carolina inside Joel Coliseum Thursday's games. I think I'll serve them hot dogs and popcorn, Mayberry ice cream, and of course, some Deacon Brew!
Tickets for the Thursday afternoon doubleheader are as low as $10 and as always 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.
Speaking of creating environments, our talented staff unveiled the promotional schedule for home ACC games earlier this week. Our 10 league games inside Joel Coliseum begin on Saturday, Dec. 30 against Virginia Tech. Click here to read about our very cool Student for a Day promotion.
Tickets to a Demon Deacons ballgame make great stocking stuffers! Recently we announced that our home game versus Duke on Feb. 24, which is presented by Allegacy Federal Credit Union, will be our second Tie Dye game of 2023-24 and part two of Wake the Nation! As such, go ahead and take advantage of this Tie Dye ticket promotion!
Our games bring a bit of fun for everyone as it was great to see President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. and Dean Corey D. B. Walker host our Divinity School students, alumni and friends at our home women's hoops game just over a week ago!
As we strive to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina, remember to be on the lookout for our periodic postgame surveys in your email inbox. Please provide your feedback and suggestions to help us continue to better serve you, your family and friends. Or, feel free to email your thoughts to wfsports@wfu.edu anytime!
ACC MBB Slate Opens With Virginia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 30 as Wake Honors Law Enforcement
Be inside Joel Coliseum next Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. as ACC play begins for our men's team with the Hokies coming to town. With that, I am grateful for the leadership and partnership of Wake Forest Assistant VP & Chief of Police Regina Lawson, Winston-Salem Chief of Police William H. Penn, Jr. and Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough, Jr. The holiday season puts extra stress on our hard-working officers and deputies and as a way to say thanks, and with the support of Deacon Club members and our Learfield Wake Forest Sports Properties partners, we want to host hundreds of local law enforcement family members for the aforementioned Virginia Tech game. Click here if you'd like to donate a ticket for this effort and we'll salute the force next Saturday!
Deacs Set Highest Graduation Success Rate for Fourth-Straight Year
Speaking of high-achieving academic success, seven Wake Forest Athletics programs recorded a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate and the Demon Deacons combined for an overall GSR score of 96 percent in the latest data released by the NCAA from the 2013-16 cohorts. We are proud of the academic accomplishments of our teams and the fact that seven of the 14 teams had a perfect GSR score of 100 and 11 of them are above 90. The overall score of 96 tied a program record keeping with our vision of A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program.
In football, Wake Forest is one of only six FBS schools (Duke; Northwestern; Stanford; Notre Dame; Vanderbilt) with an overall GSR of greater than 96 in each of the past four reports!
State of North Carolina Leaders Honor 2023 NCAA Women's Golf Champs
Just about 10 days ago, I was honored to join reigning 2023 WGCA National Coach of the Year Kim Lewellen and NCAA Champion Emilia Migliaccio as our title-winning program was honored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation with a resolution approving our National Champion highway signs! Honk your horn when you see them installed early in 2024.
Syd Kitson ('81, P '08) Named TIME Dreamer of the Year
This year's TIME and American Family Insurance Dreamer of the Year is our very own, Syd Kitson. After his time at Wake Forest and in the NFL, Syd became a groundbreaking real estate developer. His ambitious project, Babcock Ranch, is a sustainable, master-planned community in southwest Florida – a blueprint that has come to life through his innovative vision. Babcock Ranch is the first solar-powered town in America, spanning over 18,000 acres and taking over eight years to come to fruition. The development provides a model for sustainable living by integrating green technologies and eco-friendly practices into its design and operation.
We are excited to honor Syd as our Gene Hooks Lifetime Achievement Award recipient this spring and we are so proud to spotlight his Pro Humanitate efforts!
National Signing Day for Football on Deck
Over the last two weekends, I have had the great pleasure of participating in a Saturday morning breakfast with football recruits and their families. I believe head coach Dave Clawson is the best evaluator of both character and talent in all of college football and I'm excited about his 11th recruiting class who will ink their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Coverage of all the signees with highlights and complete biographical information will be shared on social media and GoDeacs.com.
Big Picture Reflections - The College Football Playoff & NCAA President Baker's "Letter"
Two especially big stories over the last few weeks were the CFP selections -- which disappointingly did not include 13-0 ACC champion FSU – and a letter from NCAA President Charlie Baker socializing a new NCAA subdivision.
I share the feelings of ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Florida State AD Michael Alford following the exclusion of the Seminoles from the College Football Playoff. The ACC defeated the Southeastern Conference in six of 10 meetings on the field this season, including our lopsided victory over Vanderbilt, and FSU's wins over LSU and Florida. Under Coach Clawson, Wake is a perfect 4-0 against teams from the SEC, including multiple wins over Vanderbilt and bowl wins over Texas A&M (Belk, 2017) and Missouri (Gasparilla, 2022).
We are all looking forward to next year when the ACC champion will be guaranteed a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. The ACC led the Power Five conferences with 11 teams making bowl games this holiday season thanks in part to a very strong non-conference winning percentage. Having played in seven-straight bowl games from 2016-22, I know our players and coaches are excited to start a new streak next season.
Then on Dec. 5, NCAA President Charlie Baker shared a concept that would create a new subdivision of NCAA Division I. While there are a number of legal and other issues still to address, and there are still many, many complexities and ramifications to consider, I salute President Baker for having the courage to elevate the discussion outside of the same-old track. At Wake Forest, we are uncompromising in our commitment to a true academically based student-athlete experience, and steadfast in our determination to continue to excel at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
Wake Forest Announces Innovative Annual Seat Rights Program for Allegacy Stadium
In the continued efforts to provide Best Fan Experience in North Carolina, our forward-thinking staff has created an Annual Seat Rights program at the request of loyal Deacon fans who want to lock in their seat location every year, but might not feel they are in a position to make a 10-or-15 year seat rights commitment. With nine sold out games since 2021 and exciting upcoming home matchups against our traditional and new ACC foes as well as upcoming SEC and Big Ten opponents like Ole Miss, Purdue and Maryland in future years, season tickets through the annual seat rights program is a great way for fans to optimize the value of an Allegacy Stadium experience.
The Annual Seat Rights program enables fans to lock in their seating location on an annual basis rather than having their seats reassigned ahead of each season. The only seat rights option prior to this announcement was a multi-year seating commitment. Fans are encouraged to learn more by clicking here.
As in years past, we have multiple exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for those who purchase season tickets, including access to the team, tickets to away football games and much more! With 2.7 million fans worldwide, our fan base is the fastest growing in the ACC and Power Five and with the effort of our football student-athletes, our spirit squads and the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black, Allegacy Stadium has become one of the best home field advantages in college football as the Deacs are 23-7 at home since 2019.
Season ticket renewals and new sales will begin on Monday, Jan. 8 and we expect to announce our full 2024 football schedule at the end of next month! Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and our social media platforms for more information.
Record Ticket Sales for Demon Deacons Baseball as 2024 Season Approaches
After just a month, baseball season ticket sales have increased 104% year-over-year and with nearly 1,000 new season tickets sold for the 2024 season! With 33 home games on the schedule, including home series matchups with Clemson, UNC, Duke, and Florida State, David F. Couch Ballpark is poised to be a popular spot for Deacon fans in 2024.
Here's a fun video our talented creative team put together with our student-athletes to unveil our home schedule. Season tickets start at $150 for general admission and $175 for reserved chairback seating! Call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 or click here to purchase.
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Show a Deacon friend how to download the Wake Forest Athletics App! It is free and can be downloaded on both the App Store on Apple Devices and the Google Play Store on Android models. The Wake App has all the latest Demon Deacon news, team schedules, great content and videos from GoDeacs.com/watch. From the App, you can visit WakeForestShop.com, purchase tickets and stay connected to all the Deacs social media accounts. And, no matter where you are, Deacon Nation can utilize the app to listen to live broadcasts of Wake football, men's and women's basketball and baseball games.
- Check out this WGHP story on Smith Reynolds Airport! This Forsyth County gem brings the greatest economic impact of all general aviation airports in the state of North Carolina! Smith Reynolds is a huge advantage for our men's and women's basketball teams and other Deacon squads year round and is undergoing a special renovation of its historic terminal building thanks to the leadership of airport director Mark Davidson.
- Mark your calendar for Friday, Jan. 5 as men's soccer All-American and graduate Garrison Tubbs is one of three finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy and will learn that night if he captures soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy. Garrison, who graduated this month with a degree in finance, has signed with Atlanta United of the MLS and is off to start his professional career!
Drive safely to the Joel tonight and as always, please continue to send your thoughts to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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Players Mentioned
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