Wake Forest Athletics
Dennis Balances Football and Role as Student-Athletic Advisory Committee President
12/16/2024 8:55:00 AM | Football
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – For Charlotte, North Carolina native Matthew Dennis, leadership extends well beyond the football field and reaches further than just the Wake Forest campus he's called home the last four seasons.
While anchoring the placekicker position on the field for the Demon Deacons, Dennis has served as the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee president at Wake Forest and was named the ACC's representative to the NCAA Division I SAAC, a group that works directly to the NCAA Division I Council to affect change.
"I love it," Dennis said about his leadership roles. "I think it's an honor to represent this conference. As a football player in a power conference, I have a different perspective and voice at the Division I level. Government officials want to listen to us. I don't think people realize how much power we have as student-athletes to change college athletics.
"The NCAA exists because of student-athletes. We've been able to collaborate with people from different conferences at the Division I level to initiate change in college athletics, whether it's related to NIL, mental health resources, or transfer portal issues. It's really exciting, and I'm honored to be part of that committee."
While collegiate athletics is undergoing change at an unprecedented level in recent years, Dennis believes it's vital for his fellow student-athletes to understand that they have a voice in what the future looks like.
"I want to emphasize that student-athletes have a voice, as many often overlook this. It's crucial to communicate this not only to football teams but to all student-athletes, including those in Olympic sports. There is one representative per Division I Conference. I'm representing all the member schools in the ACC, which totals 17 schools.
"It's important to work closely with our ACC SAAC as a whole to ensure what I'm expressing reflects the thoughts of everyone in the conference. It's not just about Wake Forest or my opinion. It's about representing the entire conference. Keeping in touch with all the presidents, athletic directors, and SAAC members can be challenging, especially during camp, but I do my best."
In his role as SAAC president at Wake Forest, Dennis focused on bringing student-athletes together from all Demon Deacon sports.
"Often, football players stick to their own group, but I encourage interactions with all of our teams," he said. "We want to foster a community and a family atmosphere. Student-athletes need to utilize available resources from other teams, as you never know what friendships, relationships, and connections may emerge.
"Additionally, I emphasize leadership and development opportunities. We've had several retreats at Truist in Charlotte and Greensboro, which have greatly helped us prepare for life after sports."
Dennis finished the 2024 season going 16-for-20 at field goals and a perfect 36-for-36 on point-after attempts. He scored 84 points during the season and was a perfect 14-for-14 on field goal attempts from 40-yards and in. He sits at sixth all-time in program history with 238 points scored in his career.
"Having a successful spring season and carrying that momentum into fall camp was huge," Dennis said. "I focused on getting back to the basics. Most kickers come from a soccer background, so thinking about it like a soccer kick and returning to my roots has made me feel smoother. I know that I'm here for a reason. We're all talented, and I am in this position for a reason."
While anchoring the placekicker position on the field for the Demon Deacons, Dennis has served as the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee president at Wake Forest and was named the ACC's representative to the NCAA Division I SAAC, a group that works directly to the NCAA Division I Council to affect change.
"I love it," Dennis said about his leadership roles. "I think it's an honor to represent this conference. As a football player in a power conference, I have a different perspective and voice at the Division I level. Government officials want to listen to us. I don't think people realize how much power we have as student-athletes to change college athletics.
"The NCAA exists because of student-athletes. We've been able to collaborate with people from different conferences at the Division I level to initiate change in college athletics, whether it's related to NIL, mental health resources, or transfer portal issues. It's really exciting, and I'm honored to be part of that committee."
While collegiate athletics is undergoing change at an unprecedented level in recent years, Dennis believes it's vital for his fellow student-athletes to understand that they have a voice in what the future looks like.
"I want to emphasize that student-athletes have a voice, as many often overlook this. It's crucial to communicate this not only to football teams but to all student-athletes, including those in Olympic sports. There is one representative per Division I Conference. I'm representing all the member schools in the ACC, which totals 17 schools.
"It's important to work closely with our ACC SAAC as a whole to ensure what I'm expressing reflects the thoughts of everyone in the conference. It's not just about Wake Forest or my opinion. It's about representing the entire conference. Keeping in touch with all the presidents, athletic directors, and SAAC members can be challenging, especially during camp, but I do my best."
In his role as SAAC president at Wake Forest, Dennis focused on bringing student-athletes together from all Demon Deacon sports.
"Often, football players stick to their own group, but I encourage interactions with all of our teams," he said. "We want to foster a community and a family atmosphere. Student-athletes need to utilize available resources from other teams, as you never know what friendships, relationships, and connections may emerge.
"Additionally, I emphasize leadership and development opportunities. We've had several retreats at Truist in Charlotte and Greensboro, which have greatly helped us prepare for life after sports."
Dennis finished the 2024 season going 16-for-20 at field goals and a perfect 36-for-36 on point-after attempts. He scored 84 points during the season and was a perfect 14-for-14 on field goal attempts from 40-yards and in. He sits at sixth all-time in program history with 238 points scored in his career.
"Having a successful spring season and carrying that momentum into fall camp was huge," Dennis said. "I focused on getting back to the basics. Most kickers come from a soccer background, so thinking about it like a soccer kick and returning to my roots has made me feel smoother. I know that I'm here for a reason. We're all talented, and I am in this position for a reason."
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