Road To CFB Visits A Wake Forest Football Game Day
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Nestled between the Appalachian Mountains and the Research Triangle sits Winston-Salem. Not to be confused with Wake Forest, NC, Wake Forest University calls Winston-Salem home. Originally situated in Wake Forest (hence the name), the school moved in the 1950s due to new mandates for medical colleges and increased expenses. President Harry Truman attended the grand relocation, and the ACC school has called Winston-Salem home ever since. Wake Forest features a game day I’d recommend to those in the area, but walk (don’t run) to it right away.
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In 2017, I decided to pursue one of the most elusive bucket lists in sports: visiting a game day at every FBS stadium. But it wasn't about popping my head in on a Saturday. It wasn't about documenting every drive and highlight. It's about fully experiencing what every FBS school has to offer.
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Wake Forest Game Day: Friday Night In Deactown!
November was kind to northwest North Carolina this afternoon. Highs peaked near 60, and lows fell to the low 50s – perfect jacket weather and not a drop of rain to be seen. Wake Forest puts on one of the better fan zones I’ve seen, just southwest of Allegacy Stadium. There’s live music, beer stands, and interactive games for families. Stick around that zone to see the Deac Walk, led by Wake Forest’s iconic Demon Deacon mascot. Like on the field later on, he leads the team on a motorcycle and announces the start of the team walk with a lap around the grounds.
The Demon Deacon hangs around after the event, which starts two and a half hours before kickoff, for photo ops.
Before heading to the Deac Walk, I took the advice of many Twitter users and visited Putters – a “Wake Forest institution” according to the recommendations. The joint is delightful, designed to look like a golf course clubhouse. I ordered a prime rib sandwich (essentially a steak between two buns) with buffalo chips (potato chip-shaped french fries). The meal is perfectly paired with a Red Oak on tap and the meal didn’t let me down an inch.
Free parking is available at 2400 Reynolda Drive, about 2.5 miles from the stadium. However, start and stop times for the shuttle were nowhere to be found online and, despite banners advertising the shuttle service, there appeared to be no such offering four hours before kickoff. I opted to park next to the stadium for $20 instead, which offers easy egress following the game.
Wake Forest Game Day Traditions
Wake Forest is a baseball school. Despite some strong seasons in recent memory–thanks to head coach Dave Clawson’s iconic slow mesh system and a dynamic quarterback, Sam Hartman–support for the Wake Forest football program is sparse. Allegacy Stadium is the smallest among Power Conference venues, seating just 31,500. On this evening, even that was too much as the crowd was thin. The baseball stadium isn’t open to all on game day, but it’s worth a peek if a gate is popped open.
Heritage Hall, located in the field house, is open and worth a quick visit to see past ACC Championship trophies, Orange Bowl ticket stubs, and more. Roaming around the stadium grounds ensures you’ll see a fan or two decked out in Wake Forest garb. But these fans don’t stop at a jersey or team-themed suit jacket – 1 Captain Deacon is a super fan dressed in custom Mandalorian gear (complete with Grogu and a same-sized Demon Deacon); another half dozen adorn the Deacon top hat and cane.
In the near future, several parking lots will become The Grounds, likely an effort to bring bars and eateries around the stadium and, as a result, fans closer to the venue.
Once you hear fireworks and a motorcycle rev over the stadium speakers, you know it’s time to head inside.
Cal 46, Wake Forest 36
Asking fans of two 4-4 teams to come out on a Friday night is a lot, regardless of how nice the evening was. Cal was a brand new member to the ACC this season, and few fans trekked from Berkeley to Winston-Salem. The majority of blue-and-gold clad fans were player families. But the real disappointment came from the lack of local fans.
Cal, looking for its first ACC win of the year, jumped out to a 20-7 lead and never really surrendered that. The Golden Bears controlled the game until Wake fought back to bring the game within three points with under three minutes to go. The push ultimately failed–Cal scored another late to go up 10–but the comeback did instill some drama on the field.
Unfortunately, most fans hit the exits before that stretch. The north end zone features GA seating on a grassy hill. What was mostly full to begin the game was sparse aside from a few kids running up and down the grassy patch and occasionally rolling down.
One positive note for the crowd: Wake Forest enrolls fewer than 9,000 students. But a large chunk of those students were in the stands this Friday night, even if they didn’t stay long to hit the bars after.
Wake Forest Game Day Grades
Stadium: A-. You can tell Wake Forest is well-funded. Allegacy Stadium features gorgeous field turf, a pristine press box, and a clean overall feel. Despite being the Power Conference’s smallest stadium by capacity, it never feels dwarfed, thanks to the massive press box. There’s no bad seats in the house, especially when you have the choice of them.
Tradition: C+. Other than the Deacon branding, Wake Forest doesn’t feature many traditions that stand out. The mascot and motorcycle is a solid entrance and lead for the Deac Walk, and the PA announcer has plenty of call-and-responses for first downs. Wake Forest boasts academics, baseball, and then everything else – in that order.
Atmosphere: D. Despite a gorgeous evening, the fan support just wasn’t there. 28,000 fans were announced, but I’ll let you decide (photo above, capacity is 31,500). The Demon Deacons have had much better seasons in recent history, but support for the 4-4 team lacked this year.
Tailgating: C. It’s Friday night, so I grade this on an adjusted scale. For a mid-November Friday, tailgate tents were around, especially near the stadium. The baseball facility doubled for a tailgating site. Nothing mind-blowing, but fans were there.
Fans: C. Based on the attendance and attitude around the game, you’d assume Wake Forest came in at 2-6. It’s a new ACC foe, and most Cal fans didn’t take the 2,400-mile trek, but there was a large feeling of disinterest. The game came down to the absolute wire but fans headed for the gates early. I’m not sure “fair weather” is the right phrase, as this might be the norm for Wake Forest football.
Extracurriculars: C. Winston-Salem is convenient to the Raleigh-Durham metro and close to Appalachia. The city itself features some eateries, but I wouldn’t roam around the streets aimlessly. In terms of metros and college towns, it’s just fine.
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Learn more about the new Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI site.
Brett is the ultimate college football traveler, currently en route to experience a game day at every FBS stadium. He is a former Division I recruiter at Bowling Green and Texas State, and his writing background includes analyzing NCAA betting markets. Also a high school football coach, Brett lives and dies by the gridiron. Follow along on all socials: @ roadtocfb.