Wake Forest Campus to Host SportsCenter Ahead of Rival Matchup

Hearn Plaza to host iconic program showcasing campus traditions ahead of NC State showdown

Wake Forest campus will hold their first live ESPN program in five years, after the Demon Deacons hosted College GameDay in a pandemic-restricted setting in September 2020. | Brett Gibbons, Road to CFB

Wake Forest will host one of the most recognizable programs in sports television, hosting ESPN's SportsCenter live from Hearn Plaza on the school's Reynolda Campus on Thursday, September 11.

This will be ESPN's first edition of 'SC on Campus' this season, having gone to seven destinations across six states in last year's campaign. ESPN SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie retains his role as the show's host, before later doing play-by-play duties as the Demon Deacons take on the N.C. State Wolfpack.

Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert, fresh off a winning start to his first season with the Demon Deacons, will join Barrie for an interview early in the program, which will start at 2:00 p.m.

Revisiting GameDay

Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Ray Lewis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit on College GameDay | Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

This will not be the first time that Wake Forest has held an ESPN-syndicated show on its premises, as Winston-Salem earned the privilege of being the 90th city to host College GameDay in September 2020 ahead of the Demon Deacons' matchup against No. 1 Clemson.

The celebrity guest was none other than Winston-Salem and Wake Forest Basketball legend Chris Paul, who had to join the show virtually due to the then-required COVID-19 protocols. Paul joined the cast of Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, and David Pollack to give their predictions on the games of the weekend.

Paul was the only game picker to choose the Sam Hartman-led Demon Deacons over the Tigers, as the rest of the GameDay crew opted for the top team in the nation, led by Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. Lawrence would run for two touchdowns and throw for another as the Tigers handily beat the Deacons, 37-13.

The Tobacco Road Rivalry

Demond Claiborne | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The iconic sports program comes to Winston-Salem on the same day that the Demon Deacons host the Wolfpack, another iteration of the Tobacco Road rivalry that also serves as the second-longest consecutively played game in the country.

Last season, then-Head Coach Dave Clawson and the Demon Deacons marched into Carter-Finley Stadium and snuck away with a win, escaping Raleigh with their first conference win of the 2024 season. After a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter, star running back Demond Claiborne punched in two of his three touchdowns on the day within the dying minutes.

After a rib injury in the season opener against Kennesaw State, Claiborne looks to lead the Demon Deacons in their first game of conference play this season against the Wolfpack.

Kickoff against N.C. State at Allegacy Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m., and can be found on ESPN.