Wake Forest Athletics
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From the Quad
12/22/2023 1:21:00 PM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation,
Sandwiched between two fun basketball wins inside Joel Coliseum yesterday afternoon and what we hope will be a festive and safe holiday weekend for you and your loved ones, we bring you this special edition of From the Quad following today's news that Florida State has authorized legal action against the Atlantic Coast Conference. You can also read the ACC's statement here.
We are not surprised by the comments from this morning's FSU Board of Trustees meeting indicating their dissatisfaction with the ACC which mirrored their complaints from their August board meeting. And, as I shared in From the Quad earlier this week, we understand and share their disappointment in not being selected for the College Football Playoff.
Regardless of how FSU feels, the ACC's status as the top academic and athletic conference in the country, our long standing partnership with ESPN, the growth of the ACC Network, our grant-of-rights through 2036, and our 18 leading institutions in the nation's most dynamic states and markets give us tremendous strength as a league. We are excited about Stanford, Cal, and SMU joining as full members next summer as well as the adoption of the innovative success-initiative revenue distribution model that will provide significant opportunities for institutions who have invested in, and achieved, competitive success.
As articulated in the Strategic Framework, Wake Forest is committed to meaningful, mutual partnerships. Indeed, as a charter member of the ACC, the conference represents one of Wake Forest's oldest and most strategic partnerships.
The ACC office was prepared for this action and has already taken proactive legal steps in anticipation of this FSU action. I am confident in the leadership of the ACC Board of Directors and Executive Committee, including our President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., and Commissioner Jim Phillips, in protecting and enhancing our league amidst a time of unprecedented evolution in college sports.
At Wake Forest, we are uncompromised on our commitment to compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics while delivering a World Class Student-Athlete Experience. With our 2.7 million Demon Deacons fans ranking as the fastest growing fanbase in America since 2019, 10 NCAA championships, elite athletics facilities, and a dynamic home city in the heart of North Carolina, we will continue to deliver value to the ACC.
Student-athletes choose Wake Forest because of the opportunity to obtain an elite and distinctive education while competing with the best and against the best on the country's biggest stages. While today's announcement from Florida State may create anxiety for some, and will surely provide plenty of content for radio talk shows, rest assured that Wake Forest is in a strong position. Our focus continues towards our vision of being A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program centered on our five core goals led by providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.
And speaking of that…
Here are today's From the Quad Big 3 ways to help the Deacs!
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation,
Sandwiched between two fun basketball wins inside Joel Coliseum yesterday afternoon and what we hope will be a festive and safe holiday weekend for you and your loved ones, we bring you this special edition of From the Quad following today's news that Florida State has authorized legal action against the Atlantic Coast Conference. You can also read the ACC's statement here.
We are not surprised by the comments from this morning's FSU Board of Trustees meeting indicating their dissatisfaction with the ACC which mirrored their complaints from their August board meeting. And, as I shared in From the Quad earlier this week, we understand and share their disappointment in not being selected for the College Football Playoff.
Regardless of how FSU feels, the ACC's status as the top academic and athletic conference in the country, our long standing partnership with ESPN, the growth of the ACC Network, our grant-of-rights through 2036, and our 18 leading institutions in the nation's most dynamic states and markets give us tremendous strength as a league. We are excited about Stanford, Cal, and SMU joining as full members next summer as well as the adoption of the innovative success-initiative revenue distribution model that will provide significant opportunities for institutions who have invested in, and achieved, competitive success.
As articulated in the Strategic Framework, Wake Forest is committed to meaningful, mutual partnerships. Indeed, as a charter member of the ACC, the conference represents one of Wake Forest's oldest and most strategic partnerships.
The ACC office was prepared for this action and has already taken proactive legal steps in anticipation of this FSU action. I am confident in the leadership of the ACC Board of Directors and Executive Committee, including our President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., and Commissioner Jim Phillips, in protecting and enhancing our league amidst a time of unprecedented evolution in college sports.
At Wake Forest, we are uncompromised on our commitment to compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics while delivering a World Class Student-Athlete Experience. With our 2.7 million Demon Deacons fans ranking as the fastest growing fanbase in America since 2019, 10 NCAA championships, elite athletics facilities, and a dynamic home city in the heart of North Carolina, we will continue to deliver value to the ACC.
Student-athletes choose Wake Forest because of the opportunity to obtain an elite and distinctive education while competing with the best and against the best on the country's biggest stages. While today's announcement from Florida State may create anxiety for some, and will surely provide plenty of content for radio talk shows, rest assured that Wake Forest is in a strong position. Our focus continues towards our vision of being A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program centered on our five core goals led by providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.
And speaking of that…
Here are today's From the Quad Big 3 ways to help the Deacs!
- Join me in congratulating Ron Wellman and Randolph Childress on being inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame! Ron's incredible 27 years of service as Wake Forest director of athletics left an indelible mark on the history of Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, the ACC and the State of North Carolina and thousands of student-athletes. Randolph's three-day run and 107 points scored to lead Wake Forest to the 1995 ACC basketball championship in Greensboro must rank at the top of the greatest individual performances in North Carolina sports history. His fearless leadership and drive to win helped elevate Wake Forest into the national spotlight during his career as a Demon Deacon.
- Join me in Congratulating 28 student-athletes who completed their academic commitments during this recent semester and are now graduates of Wake Forest University! With that, six Demon Deacons earned graduate degrees. This group of esteemed Demon Deacons have collectively worn the Old Gold and Black in over 1,000 athletic contests, an Atlantic Division football title, four bowl championships while the Deacs men's soccer and field hockey grads all competed in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, our volleyball and women's track and field / cross country graduates each competed in the postseason.
- Help host and honor our local law enforcement and first responder families next Saturday as the Demon Deacons men's basketball host Virginia Tech at 2 p.m. in our home ACC opener. Mary Lawrence and I are buying 100 tickets towards this effort and you can join us here to give those who keep us safe - and their families - an extra special holiday afternoon. With that, next weekend's game is the first of an unprecedented eight (!) home Saturday ACC men's games. Check out the promotional schedule for home ACC games and click here to read about our very cool Student for a Day promotion for the Virginia Tech, Miami and Virginia games. Call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 or click here to purchase.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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