Ron Wellman, who has elevated Wake Forest University athletics to its highest level ever and committed to preparing the program for greater success in the future, enters his 12th year as director of athletics.
Wellman, who was officially named athletic director in October of 1992, is only the fifth man to assume the top position in the athletic department at Wake Forest during the modern era of intercollegiate sports, following Pat Preston, Jim Weaver, Bill Gibson and Dr. Gene Hooks, WFU�s athletic director from 1964 through 1992.
Since taking over control of WFU Athletics, Wellman has seen Deacon athletic teams rise to national prominence in several sports while perennially competing for Atlantic Coast Conference championships.The 2002-03 academic year - a banner year by any definition - is evidence.
| Gary Hamrah (Cornelius, NC): Why are kickoff times posted only a week or so in advance of home games?It makes it hard to plan to attend not knowing when the game is to start especially if one has to travel any distance to the game. |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: Game times are determined 12 days or the Monday two weeks prior to the game.Our conference office works with all of our television partners to determine which ACC games or nonconference games played at ACC schools will be televised on the various networks.We have contractual arrangements with for games at noon (Jefferson Pilot syndication), 3:30 (ABC) and 7:00 (ESPN) each week.There can be slight variations to these guidelines.For instance, our television partners can request a six-day rather than a 12-day declaration a couple times each year. This typically happens the last half of the season when it is important to televise the critical games to determine the conference championship and bowl bids during a television window that will attract the largest possible audience.
The ACC has always been aware of the positive impact that television has on our programs.While we all would like to have our game times determined prior to the season, the system that we employ allows us to televise the most attractive games during windows that draw the largest audiences. |
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| Matt (Wilmington, NC): Looking past the conference-wide implications of expansion, how does Wake Forest as an INDIVIDUAL INSTITUION benefit from the ACC expansion? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: Wake Forest benefits from conference expansion simply because the entire conference benefits and we are a conference member.When the organization, the ACC, benefits from a decision, each component or member of that organization should also realize the benefits.The addition of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College will have a positive impact on the ACC and Wake Forest.
Fifty years ago Wake Forest made the decision to compete in the very best conference in the country when the decision was made to join the ACC.It would have been an easy and maybe even a more logical decision to stay in the Southern Conference but fortunately our predeccessors made the tough decision to join the ACC.We still desire to compete in the best conference in the country and we are now in a position to maintain the strength of the ACC with the additional members. |
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| Deac Fan from Kannapolis, NC: With the recent addition of BC to the ACC and the football schedule already being set, does that mean BC won't be playing ACC football for at least 2 more years, and when can we expect a Championship Game in this situation? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: Actually, the ACC football schedules are not set for the future. For the last few years the ACC has not finalized a football schedule until the December prior to the season.By scheduling the conference games in this manner, it gives us the opportunity to create the best possible schedule for our teams, fans and television partners as well as give each school as much flexibility to schedule attractive nonconference games
At this point we do not know when BC will join the ACC competitively. It could be as late as 2006 or as early as next season.We will not know when BC will join us until at least November and maybe later.If they were to come in 2004, we could still include them in the conference schedule if we are notified by BC sometime in November.
As you probably know, BC is on our 2004 schedule already as a non-conference opponent.Since they will be in our division in the ACC, that game would become a conference game if they are a conference member next season.That, of course, would require us to schedule another non-conference game. |
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| John (Wheeling, WV): Is Wake Forest going to eliminate its Department of Athletics as Vanderbilt has done? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: The organizational model that Vanderbilt has decided to employ has never been discussed as a viable model for Wake Forest...thank goodness! |
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| chip: As a long time Wake fan, I find it hard to find many of the fan apparel items that many of the other ACC schools have.Why doesn't WFU do more licensing so fan can have a wider choice of what they want? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: Wework very closely with a group with whom we contract for our licensing and they have produced additional vendors and manufacturers for us the last couple years.In fact, we are currently experiencing our best year ever in WFU merchandise sold.There are many factors that have led to this record-breaking year (one of the important factors is the excellence of our teams!). We are pleased with the improvements that have been made but also look forward to additional advances in the future.You can assist us by notifying us when you see merchandise with logos of other schools that is not available with the WFU logo.We have also found that asking the store owner for WFU merchandise can be effective.Go Deacs! |
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| Allen BeckBurlington NC: The men's golf team looks to be a premier national program again. Is Jerry Haas under a long term contract similiar to the other successful coaches that you've retained? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: Jerry has done a superb job and our team appears to be in the upper echelon of the ACC and nationally again this year.I assure you that we have every intention of keeping Jerry at WFU for a long, long time. |
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| Mitch (Lawrence, KS): Dear Ron: I really enjoy listening to Wake Forest games via the website. While the cost is small, I was just curious why you began charging for this service this year. By the way, the website looks great! |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: The provider of the service is now charging for it.A few years ago, most universities were providing the service free to its fans but now the vast majority of schools charge for the service.Those who do not will be charging for it in the next year or two.Thanks for following the Deacs! |
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| Rick, Winston-Salem: Did the University receive any explanation as to why our field hockey team was sent to Connecticut for the first round of the NCAA tournament while runner-up Duke was rewarded with the home-field advantage? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: There was no explanation given; however, the NCAA tries to eliminate as many flights as possible that teams must take to participate in post-season tournaments and by placing us at the site in the Northeast, they could keep Boston College, UConn and Northeastern in their home area and have only one team, Wake Forest, travel to the site via air.It is the only explanation that makes any sense since we are the #1 seed in the tournament and applied to host the first and second rounds.Fortunately, we won both games at the Northeast site...but will now return to Amherst, MAto play the semi-final game on Friday and, if we win that game, the championship game on Sunday.Go Deacs! |
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| Derrill McAteer, Tampa, Florida: Under the new ACC expansion schedules for basketball, how will Wake preserve the traditional home and home rivalry series with Duke and UNC? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: No final scheduling model has been officially adopted yet.We have decided to keep all schools in one division rather than dividing into two divisions like football.We will also have two "permanent rivals" and although those rivals have not been finalized for us yet, it appears that they could be NCSU and possibly Georgia Tech.There will be four other schools that we will play twice each year and another four schools that we will play only once in the first two years of the schedule.Those groups of four schools will switch on our schedule the third year.Therefore, it depends on which group Duke and UNC will be assigned before we know if we will play them once or twice the first two years of the schedule.Of course, when Boston College comes into the league, the scheduling model will need to be revised. |
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| Greg (Washington DC): Are there any plans to make improvements to Groves stadium? Some aspects of it seem to have not been touched since 1968 (minus of course Bridger field house). Also, if there are what is the time table? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: You are correct in that there has been little done to improve Groves Stadium other than building a new Bridger Field House since it opened in 1968.We have retained a national architectural firm to make recommendations to upgrade Groves Stadium.They gave us their first report last month and we provided feedback that will allow them to revise their suggestions and present their final report sometime before Christmas.The construction timetable has not been established but we would like to go forward as soon as financially feasible.A project of this magnitude will take multiple years to complete.
We want every fan to enjoy their experience at Groves Stadium and look forward to their next visit.Thatmeans that many aspects of the stadium must be upgraded.Concessions, restrooms, the exterior look, parking, press box and suites are all areas that we are reviewing as a part of this project.
Groves Stadium is a beautiful and functional facility but it needs improvements for us to realize its full potential which will help our overall football and athletic program. |
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| Matt (Los Angeles): I totally understand how television dictates many of your starting times for home football games. However, I was curious how you decide on starting times for non-televised games? It seems like most Wake Forest non-TV games begin at 3:30. |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: As you can imagine, different constituencies would like various starting times depending on their personal situation.For instance, many fans enjoy the mid-afternoon time because it gives them the opportunity to use Saturday mornings for personal matters (attending children's games, raking leaves, etc.) while some who travel prefer an earlier or later time.
Over the years, we have found that the most popular time, when judged by attendance at games, is 3:30 or 6:30. Since we are reluctant to start non-televised games in November at 6:30, the 3:30 option becomes our best kick-off time.
Each year we review the success of various starting times and assure you that we will do that again this year as we decide next year's game times.Your input is valuable to us and will be considered. |
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| Janay (Seattle): I am a Wake grad and an avid supporter of the Deacons. I applaud you for finding keeping Grobe and Prosser. I am very proud of WFU athletics! However, I am angry with the break-up of the "Big Four" because of ACC expansion. |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: I certainly understand and appreciate your desire to continue to play the three other in-state schools as we currently do. The rivalries are intense and have a wonderful tradition.
Although schedules have not been finalized for next year and the future because we do not know when Boston College will join the ACC officially, it will be extremely difficult and very improbable to maintain the current scheduling guidelines. The only way to continue playing every school twice in basketball is to play a 20- or 22-game conference schedule. Wake Forest was the only institution to vote for a 20-game schedule. Playing 22 conference games when BC joins the ACC would not give us the opportunity to play an attractive and intersectional non-conference schedule.
The same holds true in football scheduling. It would be disadvantageous for us to play 10 or 11 conference games.
While there are ways to preserve current rivalries, we must prioritize the welfare of the entire Conference. While the four North Carolina schools all believe that our rivalries are the foundation of the ACC, the non-North Carolina institutions in the ACC also have intense rivalries with the North Carolina schools. Therefore, we will do what is best for the overall Conference while doing our best to protect as many games with our North Carolina rivals as possible.
While the scheduling process is one of the challenges of expansion, I assure you that overall expansion will be a positive for the ACC. It will keep the ACC as the preeminent conference in college athletics.
Thanks again for your support. |
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| Greg, Winston-Salem: I heard the Kentner Stadium is up for refurbishing with a new Track (Mondo?) and a new infield for Field Hockey. Is this scheduled soon? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: We are discussing the possibility ofreplacing the Kentner Stadium track and field hockey turf.The current track and turf field are about 13 years old and both are worn out and need replacing.We have had meetings with representatives of two of the leading artificial turf and track companies.I anticipate a decision being made within the next month or so about the viability of doing the project this spring or summer. |
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| Bob Baker (Winston-Salem): As an alumni and Deacon supporter, I would love to see more of a home court advantage in basketball.Any thought to giving the students the first 5 rows around the perimeter of the coliseum? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: If we gave our students the first five rows around the court, the fans sitting behind the students would not be able to see the game unless they stood the entire game because the students stand throughout the game.The schools that assign their students the seats surrounding the floor typically have a barrier/divider of some kind behind the student seats that separates the students from the non-student seating and, therefore, does not obstruct the view of the non-students.
The atmosphere at our games is improving drastically.The students are doing a great job of generating enthusiasm throughout the arena with their tie-die t-shirts, cheers, coordination with the band and encouragement of the other sections of the coliseum.The non-students are "into the game" much more than ever as they realize that they too can help our team by cheering loudly.Even though we do not have our students sitting in seats surrounding the court, that should not and is not preventing us from having a great atmosphere at our games.
Go Deacs! |
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| Eddie Burchette (Washington, DC): What are the chances of starting lacrosse, M&W swimming and wrestling teams at Wake--if any, and how soon? |
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Director of Athletics Ron Wellman: At this time we have no plans to add any sports to our program. In recent years we have added volleyball andwomen's soccer and have promoted field hockey to a Division 1 sport.We want to give all the programs in our department the opportunity to excel and to support them in a manner that will lead to every program becoming a championship caliber progam.The cost of adding sports to our program would be prohibitive and hinder the goals that we have for our current sports. |
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