From the Quad - Wake Forest University Athletics

11/12/2026 3:00:00 PM | General

By: John Currie

Special Edition: Coach Dickert Signs a Long-Term Extension

It’s a great day to be a Demon Deacon!

Just a short time ago, we announced that head coach Jake Dickert has signed a long-term contract extension to continue leading Wake Forest football!

Since arriving in Winston-Salem in December 2024, Coach Dickert has gone 17-5 and brought new energy to our program, our campus, and our community. His first team won nine games, the most by a first-year head coach in program history, and capped the season with a 43-29 win over Mississippi State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. This fall, the 8-1 Deacs are ranked No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings and No. 11 in the AP poll, and Coach Dickert has been named to the watchlists for both the Paul “Bear” Bryant and Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year awards, while quarterback Gio Lopez continues to climb the Heisman Trophy charts. It’s a special time to be a Demon Deacon and our future is bright!

I am grateful to President Rodriguez and our Board of Trustees for their continued support of Wake Forest Athletics, and to our entire athletics staff, whose hard work every day makes moments like this possible. I also want to thank Jake, his wife Candice, and their children Rylee, Jett and Jace for making Winston-Salem home. In Jake’s words, “We’re just getting started.”

The Demon Deacons are 8-1 and 13th in the CFP rankings

Deacon Takeover: Dallas!

I’m finishing up this edition of FTQ from seat 13D on my way to Dallas for our Deacon Dallas Takeover weekend. We’re expecting several thousand Deacon fans at Saturday’s game and all the fun starts tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m., when WAKEDallas-Ft. Worth hosts an evening with President Rodriguez. There’s a pop-in pep rally at the Katy Trail Ice House on Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and we’re looking forward to a spirited official Wake Forest tailgate Saturday morning!

Remember to tune in – and tell your club bartender to put the game on – as the Deacs battle SMU with a noon ET kickoff on Saturday, live on ESPN.

And Then… Onto Atlanta!

Next week the Deacon Takeover continues in Atlanta as we take on Georgia Tech on Saturday, Nov. 21. The fun kicks off Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. when WAKEAtlanta hosts a gathering for Deacon fans, and continues with the official Wake Forest tailgate before Saturday’s game. More details and kickoff time will be announced soon, so start making your plans to join us at Bobby Dodd Stadium!

A Homecoming to Remember

It was great to see Coach Jim Grobe, Riley Skinner, and our so many members of our 2006 ACC Championship team back at Allegacy Financial Stadium last Saturday. Being able to celebrate their accomplishments, while Coach Dickert’s squad put on a show in a 77-0 Homecoming win over Merrimack – the most points scored by Wake Forest in the modern era – was special!

Good Luck to Cross Country at NCAA Regionals Tomorrow

Fresh off an ACC title, our No. 9 men’s team and our women’s team race at the NCAA Southeast Regional tomorrow in Spartanburg, S.C., with the women’s 6K at 10 a.m. and the men’s 10K at 11 a.m., and admission is free for all spectators. A strong day would send the Deacs to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 21, and you can follow live results here!

Men’s and Women’s Soccer Await NCAA Opponents

Both of our soccer teams will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday, with the men’s selection show at 1 p.m. ET and the women’s selection show at 4 p.m. ET on NCAA.com. Congratulations to Sierra Sythe and Valentina Amaral, who were named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively — the first Deacs ever to win either award!

Deacs Qualify for NCAA Singles Championships

Four men’s tennis players will represent Wake Forest at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, Nov. 17-22 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. Senior Luca Pow (singles, plus doubles with Cornelius Shalmi) and Aryan Shah earned their berths last weekend and join Dominick Mosejczuk, who qualified in September... and congratulations to Luca on recording his 100th career singles win along the way!

Pate On the Course at LPGA’s Annika

Senior Macy Pate, a three-time All-American, is making her LPGA Tour debut this week at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in Belleair, Fla. She’s there on a sponsor invitation she earned when our team won the ANNIKA Intercollegiate in September. She’ll share the field with Deacon greats Jennifer Kupcho, Lauren Walsh and Mimi Rhodes, and you can follow along on Golf Channel today and Friday (11 a.m.–2 p.m. ET) and on CNBC this weekend!

Home Basketball This Weekend

Both of our basketball teams are home at the Joel this weekend! Coach Forbes’ team hosts Southern Utah on Saturday at 4 p.m. on ACCNX, and Coach Gebbia’s team welcomes Elon on Sunday at 3 p.m., also on ACCNX. Come out and support the Deacs!

From the Quad Big 3

Here are this week’s Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:

Grab your people and bring ‘em to Winston-Salem November 28. Simply put, it may be the biggest home season finale in Allegacy Financial Stadium history and Coach Dickert, our seniors and entire squad are counting on YOU to be there. Big Four rival Duke and their own Heisman candidate Nate Sheppard will roll into Allegacy Financial Stadium with plenty of momentum. Let’s pack Allegacy and send the Deacs into the postseason the right way. Get your tickets here.
While we still have everything to play for in 2026, I encourage all of our fans to lock in their 2027 season tickets today. Anyone who purchases a season ticket for the 2027 season will also receive exclusive presale access for 2026 postseason play, as well as our 2027 games against Syracuse (in Toronto) and Notre Dame (in Charlotte). If you have questions, please always feel free to contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322, ext. 1, or tix@wfu.edu.
Keep voting for Gio Lopez in the Heisman Fan Vote and share godeacs.com/H3ISMAN! Gio is currently a top-five vote getter in the fan vote and this week was named a semifinalist for both the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award.