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From the Quad
1/2/2026 7:43:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Happy New Year and Welcome to Duke's Mayo Bowl Gameday!
Demon Deacon Nation has poured into Charlotte – our University's "second home" – in a big way all week long, and tonight we will turn Bank of America Stadium Old Gold & Black as we take the field in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Mississippi State at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Our passionate and dedicated Wake Forest fans, families, students, alumni, and friends have gobbled up double our original official ticket allotment, and we are expecting well over 10,000 Demon Deacons in the stadium tonight. With that, great seats are still available here! Our Official Wake Forest Pre-Game Party reached capacity more than two weeks ago, our student pregame tailgate is full, and you can feel the Deacon pride throughout the city. Not to mention, I am excited to see our football alumni and their families at Ri Ra Irish Pub this afternoon at 2 p.m.
At 3 p.m. today, the Duke's Mayo Bowl FanFest will open along Mint & Graham Streets, and Ri Ra Irish Pub is also a great place for Deacon fans to gather pregame starting at 4 p.m.
Looking left out of my window here at the Westin, which is the Demon Deacon team headquarters, it is special to see the Wake Forest University School of Medicine inscription towering above I-277 at The Pearl. Advocate Health's new 26-acre innovation district is home to WFU's second medical school campus – which is the first and only four-year medical school in Charlotte. Led by Dean Dr. Ebony Boulware (who also serves as Chief Science Officer & Vice Chief Academic Officer of Advocate Health), the Wake Forest School of Medicine welcomed its inaugural Charlotte medical school class back last summer.
Wake Forest's ACC-leading presence in the Queen City will take another leap ahead when the School of Professional Studies and the Charlotte programs of the School of Business relocate to The Pearl this year – creating a unified and vibrant Wake Forest hub in Charlotte.
We also encourage alumni, parents, and friends in the region to connect with WAKECharlotte, our volunteer-led network that brings Deacons together year-round through social gatherings, athletic events, networking opportunities, and community service. Demon Deacon teams will be back in Charlotte soon – the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament returns to the Spectrum Center this spring (March 10–14), and Wake Forest Baseball will take on Clemson at Truist Field in a special midweek matchup on April 1, 2026, and just six weeks following that, the ACC Baseball Tournament will begin on May 19 at Truist Field.
It has been a meaningful and memorable week for our football team – one filled with service at the Second Harvest Food Bank and a visit to the kids at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital. From community engagement at last nights New Years Day event on Truist Plaza, to camaraderie at restaurants and a Hornets game, a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and of course practices at Providence Day School and meetings in preparation to win tonight's game. We are deeply grateful to the Charlotte Sports Foundation and CEO Will Pitts, Duke's Mayo and all of our partners for their warm hospitality – and for flying the Duke's flag over Winston-Salem earlier this week!
Let's jump into a few updates so we can get to the festivities this afternoon and tonight!
Continuity Key As Coach Dickert Builds for Year Two - Portal Combat Begins Today!
While our coaches and team gear up for tonight's 8:00 p.m. kickoff against the Bulldogs, General Manager Rob Schlaeger and our recruiting staff are hard at work inside the Sutton Sports Performance Center, as the football transfer portal officially opened earlier this morning at 12:01 a.m. As I explained in the last edition of From The Quad, I have complete confidence in Coach Dickert and GM Schlaeger's roster development strategy.
Last week, we announced the addition of Dyrell Roberts as the Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers, filling our only assistant vacancy, as Coach Dickert previously secured extensions for his coordinators, on-field coaches, and staff positions. This continuity enables seamless focus for Coach Dickert and his staff during this critical two-week portal period, all made possible by the generosity of Deacon Club members, the transformational philanthropy of Bob McCreary and others, and an institutional commitment to football success.
Last Call to Lock In $99 Built in the Dark Season Ticket Packages
And speaking of year two of the Coach Dickert era, only a few hours remain to take advantage of the special price of $99 for the Built in the Dark 2026 Football Season Ticket Package. This incredible value is a great way to thank a friend or introduce a new neighbor to the fun of Wake Forest football.
The 2026 home schedule features marquee ACC matchups against Duke, Miami, Stanford and Virginia, along with Opening Night vs. Akron on September 3 and Merrimack on November 7. The special Built in the Dark package seats are available in Sections 1 and 10 (rows FFF–OOO), Section 11 (rows L–CC), and Section 12 (rows F–CC), providing outstanding value and a fantastic gameday experience. Fans who purchase before tonight's game will also receive an exclusive Built in the Dark t-shirt, and prices will increase to $149 after the game — so act now!. Also, for our loyal season ticket holders, renew your tickets today and you'll receive a limited-edition Head Coach Jake Dickert bobblehead as a small token of our appreciation for your support of our student-athletes. The full menu of 2026 season ticket locations and pricing is available by clicking here and for your budgeting purposes, a convenient four-month payment plan is available if tickets are ordered by March 31, 2026. Finally, here's the link for information on our Annual Seat Rights Program.
Men's & Women's Basketball Back Home This Weekend — Join Us in The Joel
The basketball calendar has officially flipped to conference play and we have three home games in the next five days starting with our men's team tomorrow, Jan. 3 at noon when the Demon Deacons host Virginia Tech (broadcast live on ACC Network), before the Wake women tip off vs. Syracuse on Sunday at 2 p.m. as Coach Megan Gebbia's will look to move to 3-1 in ACC play after capturing a conference road win at Pitt last night!
Grab your tickets by visiting GoDeacs.com/Tickets or contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at tix@wfu.edu or 336-758-3322. Bring your family, invite your friends, and help us pack The Joel as we support our student-athletes and enter into the heart of ACC play. Looking ahead to next Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., Miami comes to Winston-Salem for a midweek men's showdown before the Deacs head down I-40 on Jan. 10 for a matchup in the Dean Dome.
Finally, our hearts are with Coach Forbes who traveled to-and-from Iowa on Tuesday for his mother's funeral service prior to our game in Raleigh on Wednesday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Forbes family.
Wake Forest's Global Commitment Recognized Nationally
One of the defining strengths of Wake Forest University is our conviction that educating the whole person means preparing students to lead – and serve – in a global community. That commitment was affirmed again this month as the Institute of International Education's Open Doors 2025 report ranked Wake Forest fourth nationally among doctoral universities for undergraduate study-abroad participation, with an extraordinary 85.7% of our students earning academic credit abroad in 2023–24. This distinction reflects both the ambition of our students and the remarkable work of our Center for Global Programs and Studies, led by Assistant Dean David Taylor and Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kline Harrison.
Celebrating Our 2025–26 Trailblazer Award Recipients
The Trailblazer Award is among my very favorite honors we bestow – because it recognizes individuals whose lives and courageous leadership have quite literally changed the trajectory of Wake Forest University and represent a lived commitment to Pro Humanitate. With that, I am deeply grateful to the members of our Trailblazer Award Committee for their thoughtful work and stewardship of this meaningful tradition.
This year, we are proud to honor Roper Osborne Halverson and Dr. Herman Eure as our 2025–26 Trailblazer Award recipients. On Saturday, February 7, we will celebrate their extraordinary lives during a morning ceremony and if you are interested in attending please register here! I encourage you to read the excellent feature stories we shared about Roper's pioneering leadership during the formative years of women's athletics at Wake Forest and Dr. Eure's vision, mentorship, and courage as the first African-American faculty member on the Reynolda Campus.
Celebrating Academic Achievement: Thirty-Four Demon Deacons Earn Degrees This Fall
One of the most meaningful measures of success in college athletics happens far beyond the playing fields – and this fall, 34 Demon Deacons reached the ultimate milestone of their Wake Forest journey by completing their academic requirements and earning their degrees. This distinguished group includes seven graduate degrees and three certificates, reflecting the breadth of academic excellence across our University. These new graduates have proudly represented the Old Gold & Black through remarkable competitive achievements – including an appearance in the 2025 Women's Soccer NCAA College Cup, a 2025 ACC Men's Soccer Championship, and participation in four bowl games — while balancing the rigorous demands of Wake Forest's academic environment.
Earning their degrees is an important part of providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and we are grateful for the academic support of the talented Faculty at Wake Forest and the support our young men and women receive from Sr. Associate AD Jane Caldwell and her academic staff as well as from our head coaches and respective coaching staff!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Mary Lawrence and I wish you and your families a Happy New Year. As always, send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Vice President & Director of Athletics
Wake Forest University
Happy New Year and Welcome to Duke's Mayo Bowl Gameday!
Demon Deacon Nation has poured into Charlotte – our University's "second home" – in a big way all week long, and tonight we will turn Bank of America Stadium Old Gold & Black as we take the field in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Mississippi State at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Our passionate and dedicated Wake Forest fans, families, students, alumni, and friends have gobbled up double our original official ticket allotment, and we are expecting well over 10,000 Demon Deacons in the stadium tonight. With that, great seats are still available here! Our Official Wake Forest Pre-Game Party reached capacity more than two weeks ago, our student pregame tailgate is full, and you can feel the Deacon pride throughout the city. Not to mention, I am excited to see our football alumni and their families at Ri Ra Irish Pub this afternoon at 2 p.m.
At 3 p.m. today, the Duke's Mayo Bowl FanFest will open along Mint & Graham Streets, and Ri Ra Irish Pub is also a great place for Deacon fans to gather pregame starting at 4 p.m.
Looking left out of my window here at the Westin, which is the Demon Deacon team headquarters, it is special to see the Wake Forest University School of Medicine inscription towering above I-277 at The Pearl. Advocate Health's new 26-acre innovation district is home to WFU's second medical school campus – which is the first and only four-year medical school in Charlotte. Led by Dean Dr. Ebony Boulware (who also serves as Chief Science Officer & Vice Chief Academic Officer of Advocate Health), the Wake Forest School of Medicine welcomed its inaugural Charlotte medical school class back last summer.
Wake Forest's ACC-leading presence in the Queen City will take another leap ahead when the School of Professional Studies and the Charlotte programs of the School of Business relocate to The Pearl this year – creating a unified and vibrant Wake Forest hub in Charlotte.
We also encourage alumni, parents, and friends in the region to connect with WAKECharlotte, our volunteer-led network that brings Deacons together year-round through social gatherings, athletic events, networking opportunities, and community service. Demon Deacon teams will be back in Charlotte soon – the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament returns to the Spectrum Center this spring (March 10–14), and Wake Forest Baseball will take on Clemson at Truist Field in a special midweek matchup on April 1, 2026, and just six weeks following that, the ACC Baseball Tournament will begin on May 19 at Truist Field.
It has been a meaningful and memorable week for our football team – one filled with service at the Second Harvest Food Bank and a visit to the kids at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital. From community engagement at last nights New Years Day event on Truist Plaza, to camaraderie at restaurants and a Hornets game, a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and of course practices at Providence Day School and meetings in preparation to win tonight's game. We are deeply grateful to the Charlotte Sports Foundation and CEO Will Pitts, Duke's Mayo and all of our partners for their warm hospitality – and for flying the Duke's flag over Winston-Salem earlier this week!
Let's jump into a few updates so we can get to the festivities this afternoon and tonight!
Continuity Key As Coach Dickert Builds for Year Two - Portal Combat Begins Today!
While our coaches and team gear up for tonight's 8:00 p.m. kickoff against the Bulldogs, General Manager Rob Schlaeger and our recruiting staff are hard at work inside the Sutton Sports Performance Center, as the football transfer portal officially opened earlier this morning at 12:01 a.m. As I explained in the last edition of From The Quad, I have complete confidence in Coach Dickert and GM Schlaeger's roster development strategy.
Last week, we announced the addition of Dyrell Roberts as the Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers, filling our only assistant vacancy, as Coach Dickert previously secured extensions for his coordinators, on-field coaches, and staff positions. This continuity enables seamless focus for Coach Dickert and his staff during this critical two-week portal period, all made possible by the generosity of Deacon Club members, the transformational philanthropy of Bob McCreary and others, and an institutional commitment to football success.
Last Call to Lock In $99 Built in the Dark Season Ticket Packages
And speaking of year two of the Coach Dickert era, only a few hours remain to take advantage of the special price of $99 for the Built in the Dark 2026 Football Season Ticket Package. This incredible value is a great way to thank a friend or introduce a new neighbor to the fun of Wake Forest football.
The 2026 home schedule features marquee ACC matchups against Duke, Miami, Stanford and Virginia, along with Opening Night vs. Akron on September 3 and Merrimack on November 7. The special Built in the Dark package seats are available in Sections 1 and 10 (rows FFF–OOO), Section 11 (rows L–CC), and Section 12 (rows F–CC), providing outstanding value and a fantastic gameday experience. Fans who purchase before tonight's game will also receive an exclusive Built in the Dark t-shirt, and prices will increase to $149 after the game — so act now!. Also, for our loyal season ticket holders, renew your tickets today and you'll receive a limited-edition Head Coach Jake Dickert bobblehead as a small token of our appreciation for your support of our student-athletes. The full menu of 2026 season ticket locations and pricing is available by clicking here and for your budgeting purposes, a convenient four-month payment plan is available if tickets are ordered by March 31, 2026. Finally, here's the link for information on our Annual Seat Rights Program.
Men's & Women's Basketball Back Home This Weekend — Join Us in The Joel
The basketball calendar has officially flipped to conference play and we have three home games in the next five days starting with our men's team tomorrow, Jan. 3 at noon when the Demon Deacons host Virginia Tech (broadcast live on ACC Network), before the Wake women tip off vs. Syracuse on Sunday at 2 p.m. as Coach Megan Gebbia's will look to move to 3-1 in ACC play after capturing a conference road win at Pitt last night!
Grab your tickets by visiting GoDeacs.com/Tickets or contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at tix@wfu.edu or 336-758-3322. Bring your family, invite your friends, and help us pack The Joel as we support our student-athletes and enter into the heart of ACC play. Looking ahead to next Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., Miami comes to Winston-Salem for a midweek men's showdown before the Deacs head down I-40 on Jan. 10 for a matchup in the Dean Dome.
Finally, our hearts are with Coach Forbes who traveled to-and-from Iowa on Tuesday for his mother's funeral service prior to our game in Raleigh on Wednesday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Forbes family.
Wake Forest's Global Commitment Recognized Nationally
One of the defining strengths of Wake Forest University is our conviction that educating the whole person means preparing students to lead – and serve – in a global community. That commitment was affirmed again this month as the Institute of International Education's Open Doors 2025 report ranked Wake Forest fourth nationally among doctoral universities for undergraduate study-abroad participation, with an extraordinary 85.7% of our students earning academic credit abroad in 2023–24. This distinction reflects both the ambition of our students and the remarkable work of our Center for Global Programs and Studies, led by Assistant Dean David Taylor and Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kline Harrison.
Celebrating Our 2025–26 Trailblazer Award Recipients
The Trailblazer Award is among my very favorite honors we bestow – because it recognizes individuals whose lives and courageous leadership have quite literally changed the trajectory of Wake Forest University and represent a lived commitment to Pro Humanitate. With that, I am deeply grateful to the members of our Trailblazer Award Committee for their thoughtful work and stewardship of this meaningful tradition.
This year, we are proud to honor Roper Osborne Halverson and Dr. Herman Eure as our 2025–26 Trailblazer Award recipients. On Saturday, February 7, we will celebrate their extraordinary lives during a morning ceremony and if you are interested in attending please register here! I encourage you to read the excellent feature stories we shared about Roper's pioneering leadership during the formative years of women's athletics at Wake Forest and Dr. Eure's vision, mentorship, and courage as the first African-American faculty member on the Reynolda Campus.
Celebrating Academic Achievement: Thirty-Four Demon Deacons Earn Degrees This Fall
One of the most meaningful measures of success in college athletics happens far beyond the playing fields – and this fall, 34 Demon Deacons reached the ultimate milestone of their Wake Forest journey by completing their academic requirements and earning their degrees. This distinguished group includes seven graduate degrees and three certificates, reflecting the breadth of academic excellence across our University. These new graduates have proudly represented the Old Gold & Black through remarkable competitive achievements – including an appearance in the 2025 Women's Soccer NCAA College Cup, a 2025 ACC Men's Soccer Championship, and participation in four bowl games — while balancing the rigorous demands of Wake Forest's academic environment.
Earning their degrees is an important part of providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and we are grateful for the academic support of the talented Faculty at Wake Forest and the support our young men and women receive from Sr. Associate AD Jane Caldwell and her academic staff as well as from our head coaches and respective coaching staff!
From the Quad Big 3
Here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Spread the word about Rocky Hansen representing the United States — and Wake Forest — at the World Cross Country Championships on Jan. 10 in Tallahassee, Fla. A junior engineering major from Hendersonville, N.C., Hansen earned his spot on Team USA after advancing through the USATF Men's 10K Championship in Portland, Oregon. Hansen's Worlds appearance caps one of the greatest cross country seasons in program history. This fall, he became the first Demon Deacon to win the ACC Individual Championship since 2001, claimed the NCAA Southeast Region title, finished as the national runner-up at the NCAA Championships, and was named the ACC Men's Performer of the Year — the first student-athlete in Wake Forest history to receive the honor. He also set multiple course records along the way, further cementing his place among the nation's elite. Run, Rocky, Run!
- Enjoy this incredible story from Ryan McFadden on ESPN.com about Wake Forest alum Alex Bachman – undrafted out of Winston-Salem who spent six years bouncing between practice squads, once even finding his locker empty on game day, and now carving out an NFL role with the Raiders while living out of rentals and guesthouses just to chase his dream.
- The Deacon Club is on pace for a record giving year – a direct result of your loyalty and commitment to providing a world-class student-athlete experience. To make a contribution, please contact your Deacon Club representative or reach our main office at (336) 758-5626 or deacclub@wfu.edu.
Mary Lawrence and I wish you and your families a Happy New Year. As always, send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Vice President & Director of Athletics
Wake Forest University
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QB Robby Ashford Duke's Mayo Bowl Postgame Press Conference (Jan. 2, 2026)
Saturday, January 03
Football Media Availability (12/23/25)
Tuesday, December 23
Wake Forest Women's Basketball Highlights vs Gardner-Webb (Dec. 22, 2025)
Monday, December 22
Steve Forbes - Postgame Presser vs. Vanderbilt
Sunday, December 21