Introducing the ACC: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
![Wake Forest Demon Deacons mascot leads the team onto the field Wake Forest Demon Deacons mascot leads the team onto the field](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5036,h_2832,x_0,y_141/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cal_sports_report/01j5ttj14767qxjqv3ne.jpg)
After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference rivals, we will profile each of the other ACC schools. Today we introduce you to Wake Forest:
WAKE FOREST
NICKNAME: Demon Deacons
MASCOT: The Demon Deacon
LOCATION: Winston-Salem, North Carolina (pop. 251,350)
MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,309 miles
MAJOR AIRPORT: Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, North Carolina
YEAR FOUNDED: 1834
ENROLLMENT 5,471 undergraduates
TUITION: $67,642
CAMPUS LANDMARK: Reynolda House Museum of American Art
MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Second & Green Tavern; Carolina Ale House; Quiet Corners Sports Bar; Campus Gas; Finnigan's Wake
FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: Former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms; actor Marc Blucas ’94; former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich (Wake Forest Law School ’82); U.S. House of Representatives member Richard Burr ’78; (Actor Carroll O’Connor left Wake Forest after his freshman year.)
ATHLETIC WEBSITE: godeacs.com
FOOTBALL
COACH: Dave Clawson (63-61, 11th season)
STADIUM: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, commonly known as Allegacy Stadium (31,500 capacity)
CAL ON THE SCHEDULE: Friday, November 8, 2024 in Winston-Salen, North Carolina
2023 RECORD: 4-8, 1-7/last in ACC
BEST PLAYER ON 2024 TEAM: Senior defensive end Jasheen Davis (third-team all-ACC, 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks)
MOST RECENT BOWL APPEARANCE: 2022 (Beat Missouri 27-17 in Gasparilla Bowl)
BOWL HISTORY: 17 appearances (11-6)
MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2006
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: None
BEST ALL-TIME NFL PLAYER: Hall of Fame linebacker Bill George (only Wake Forest player in Pro Football Hall of Fame, 8-time all-Pro, played 1952-1966)
ALSO: Brian Piccolo
BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Jim Grobe (77-82 in 13 seasons, 5 bowl games)
ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): Cal and Wake Forest have never met on the football field
MEN’S BASKETBALL
COACH: Steve Forbes (265-189 in 14 seasons)
ARENA: The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (capacity 14,665)
2023-24 RECORD: 21-14, 11-9 in ACC/tied for 5th
BEST PLAYER IN 2024-25 SEASON: Senior guard Hunter Sallis (first-team all-ACC in 2023-24)
MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017 (lost to Kansas State in preliminary round 95-88)
MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2003 ACC champion
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: 23 appearances (28-23), 1 Final Four, 1962 lost to Ohio State in semifinals
BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Tim Duncan (2-time NBA MVP, 10-time first-team all-NBA, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame; 2-time ACC Player of the Year, 1997 national college player of the year)
ALSO: Chris Paul
BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Dave Odom (240-132 in 12 seasons, 7 NCAA tournament berths, 3 final top-10 rankings)
ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 1-2 (Wake Forest won 76-59 in NIT third round on March 24, 2000)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
COACH: Megan Gebbia (24-42 in 2 seasons)
ARENA: The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (capacity 14,665)
2023-24 RECORD: 7-25, 2-16 in ACC/tied for last
BEST PLAYER IN 2024-25: Senior guard Elise Williams (led Wake Forest in scoring (13.3), rebounding (5.0) and assists (3.7) in 2023-24)
MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2021 (lost to Oklahoma State in first round)
MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: None
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: 2 NCAA tournament appearances (1-2); 1988 second round
BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Dearica Hamby (3-time WNBA all-star, Wake Forest career scoring and rebounding leader)
BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Joe Sanchez (109-93 in 7 seasons, reached second round of 1988 NCAA tournament)
ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL: (most recent meeting): 2-1 (Cal won 84-61 on November 29, 2013)
MISCELLANEOUS
VARSITY SPORTS (18): Football, baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, women’s volleyball, women’s field hockey.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (10): Baseball (1955); men’s soccer (2017); men’s tennis (2018); men’s golf (1974, 1975, 1986); women’s golf (2023); women’s field hockey (2002, 2003, 2004)
BEST ALL-TIME NON-FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL ATHLETE: Pro golfer Arnold Palmer (winner of 7 majors, including 4 Masters titles)
MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN: Triathlete Hunter Kemper (competed in 4 Olympics – 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 – finishing seventh in 2008; ranked No. 1 in the world in 2006)
Previous ACC school profiles:
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