Wake Forest University Director of Athletics Ron Wellman

Submit your questions now to Wake Forest University's Director of Athletics.

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 14th 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.

Answers to Your Questions
April, 2008

Q: Why is the spring game not held at Groves Stadium, or BB&T Field? I know there is still some more construction on the stadium but wouldn't you like to give the people of Winston-Salem and Demon Deacon fans a look at how far this project has come? Plus, there is a whole another side to the stadium that people can watch from

A: This will be the third year that we have held the spring game on campus. We have had great response from the fans who get to watch the game at ground level, get to feel more a part of the game, and have almost instant access to the players following the scrimmage. Our marketing department has brought in a number of inflatable toys for children to play on in order to make the event a fun family outing. If you haven’t been to one of our spring scrimmages on campus, you should make it a point to come out and see for yourself.

Q: How will Wake Forest deal with McDonald's All-American and Wake Forest recruit Al-Farouq Aminu, after he was arrested on charges of felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor criminal trespass?

A: At this point, we will wait and see what happens with the legal system in Georgia. It would be premature for us to act on an allegation until we have all of the facts at our disposal. It is our understanding that the investigation is ongoing and we will await those results.

March, 2008

Q: Does Wake Forest have an area where licensed vendors can sell their merchandise before football games?

A: At our football games the Deacon Shop is the only shop/vendor allowed to sell Wake Forest merchandise.

Q: Dear Ron,

Thank you so much for the progress being made at BB&t Field, particuliarly Deacon Tower. Could you please comment on the camera angles viewers will be experiencing this coming season and beyond. I am quite concerned about the height issue.

A: We have spoken with an audio-visual consultant and also held discussions with a number of the Atlantic Coast Conference's television partners including ABC, ESPN and Raycom. Those networks have determined a down angle degree range that is optimal for televising college football and the camera angles at Deacon Tower are well within that range.

Q: Mr. Wellman,

The new tower at BB&T Field is looking very good and I am anxiously waiting to see it completed. On the information pages about the renovation that are posted on the net, the view indicates that the "rim" of the existing stadium structure that is currently painted white with gold and black stripping will be bricked over to match the tower and Bridger Field House. Is that correct and if so, is that part of Phase III?

Thank you - GO DEACS!

A: The black and gold stripe will be replaced on both the east and west sides with white paint which will tie in nicely with the color scheme of Deacon Tower.

Q: Mr. Wellman,

Thanks for your leadership of Wake's athletic programs. I'm a certainly very proud to be a Deacon.

Can you please explain why you chose not to participate in the College Basketball Invitational this season? With such a young team, I had hoped that this would be an opportunity for 2, 3, or 6 more games for them to continue to grow. What were your reservations?

A: Our basketball team enters each season with several goals in mind, primarily winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and earning an invitation to the NCAA Championship. We have played in the NIT on a number of occasions, most recently in 2006.

We respect the NIT’s decision. We finished the season with an RPI of 100. Of the 32 teams invited to the NIT, only the automatic bid teams had an RPI over 100. Each of the NIT’s at-large selections had a better RPI than the Deacons.

The CBI Tournament is new this year and we were apprehensive about accepting an invitation.

We felt that this year, it was in the best interests of our basketball program to only accept an invitation from an established postseason tournament.

Q: With the addition of Ernie Shore field to the athletic facilities of Wake Forest University, what types of renovations will be done to it to blend it in with the current family of facilities - i.e. changing out the red and blue seats with black and gold ones, etc. Also, will Wake Forest retain the name "Ernie Shore Field" or is that an option that is being explored for additional revenue on naming rights as we have done with BB&T Field?

Thank you – GO DEACS!

A: We are excited to move our baseball program to Ernie Shore Field starting in 2009. There is only a short period of time between the Warthogs’ final home game in early September and the Demon Deacons’ home opener in February 2009. While there are a number of improvements that will need to be made to the stadium, we will only have time the first year to make a handful of changes. Overall, the ballpark is in good condition but we will evaluate and then address any structural issues first. After those matters are addressed, we will then move forward to "Wake Forestize" the ballpark with appropriate colors, banners and other items that will make the facility feel and look like a Wake Forest venue.

Our long term plans may include a new scoreboard and/or video board, changing the color of the seats, renovating the clubhouse and adding indoor and outdoor batting cages.

At this time, we have no plans to change the name of the facility from Ernie Shore Field. However, it is also very important that we transfer the name of our current ballpark, Gene Hooks Stadium, to the new ballpark. We have not finalized those plans yet.

February, 2008

Q: I have attended the last two NBA games that the Joel Coliseum has hosted. My question is now that Wake Forest has hosted and honored both Tim Duncan and Chris Paul's NBA teams, are there any plans to welcome back Josh Howard and the Dallas Mavericks to the Joel for a preseason NBA game? I would really be interested in seeing him back on his home court again. Thanks.

A: The NBA games that are played in the Joel Coliseum are arranged through the Coliseum staff and independent promoters. In bringing a game to the Joel, the promoter wants to make sure that there is a local connection in order to draw a good crowd. Having Josh Howard and the Mavericks play an exhibition game in Winston-Salem would seem to be a natural. However, the decision to play at the Joel would ultimately be made by the Mavericks and their local promoter.

January, 2008

Q: I would like to see Wake Forest schedule more home football games against teams like Nebraska. Is that possible?

A: It is important to have an attractive football schedule that is going to challenge our players and be attractive to our fans. When scheduling our non-conference games, it is critical to create a balance that is important for our team to attract national attention by playing some of the top football programs in the country and also affording our teams the opportunity to win enough games to be bowl eligible and prepare for an always difficult conference schedule. Our future schedules include opponents that we should be playing and are good football schools. Our future non-conference opponents are as follows (these games are always somewhat tentative, even though contracts have been signed): Baylor University (away game in 2008), Mississippi (home game in 2008), Navy (home game in 2008), Vanderbilt (home game in 2008), Stanford (home game in 2009), Elon (home game in 2009), Tulane (home game in 2010), Syracuse (away game in 2011), Army (away game in 2013), Rice (home game in 2013), and Northern Illinois (home game in 2014).

Q: I have heard that the baseball team will play their home games at Ernie Shore Field. When will that happen?

A: The Deacons will indeed move to Ernie Shore Field for the 2009 season. We should see several immediate benefits from the move. Ernie Shore Field will give our fans great amenities – from lights at night games, to easier access, chair back seats, convenient and ample parking, enhanced concessions and restrooms. This will allow us to better market the baseball team and also create a better atmosphere for our fans. Playing our home games at Ernie Shore Field also gives us the opportunity to have six of our teams (football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, and baseball) play their home games in the same area.

Q: What will happen to Hooks Stadium after the Deacons move their baseball games to Ernie Shore Field?

A: We plan on using the Hooks Stadium property to enhance the Jesse Haddock Golf Practice Facility. We obviously have a very rich tradition in golf and it is important that we give both our men’s and women’s teams the opportunity to excel and challenge for ACC and National championships. Our current practice facility does not meet the standards of today’s college golf practice facilities. With additional property being developed as a golf practice facility, we will have one of the best practice complexes in the country. In addition, prospective student-athletes are attracted to great facilities. We want our golf programs to have a state-of-the-art facility that will attract the nation’s very best golfers. Having a world class practice facility will only make Wake Forest more attractive to the student-athletes we are recruiting.

October 25, 2007

Name : Michael A. Hohlfelder
Dear Mr. Wellman;

No question - just an observation. As a 1973 graduate of Wake Forest, I had the distinct pleasure of seeing our first ACC Championship despite grim pre-season projections. However, I was never more proud than I was yesterday when my family and I attended the Navy Homecoming game. With tickets provided by an Annapolis graduate who was not able to attend, we were seated in a heavily dominated Navy section, but we did our best to support the Deacs and while we were very pleased with the final results, it was our team's world class sportmanship and respect for the Navy traditions that impacted us the most. To see our team accompany the Navy team over to the Brigade of Midshipmen at the conclusion of the game and pay respect in such a sincere manner reflects great credit on the University, a coaching staff that is second to none, and an elite group of athletes who embrace the principle that true champions must be more than just victors on the field of competition. I can't tell you how proud I was of our team and the many great Deacon fans who travelled to see the game. Their standing ovation for the Midshipmen was a well deserved tribute for our wonderful men and women in uniform and the good will that was generated carried on through an exciting and hard fought contest. In my heart and mind, we won a great victory for Wake Forest University - regardless of the final score. Well done Deacs!!!!

RESPONSE:
Michael,

Thank you for taking the time to write. We are very fortunate to have Coach Grobe setting an example for our football team. I appreciate you letting us know of your experience. I will pass along your remarks to the football team and coaching staff.

Your pride in Wake Forest is shared by many!

Go Deacs!

September 26, 2007

Question: I am considering purchasing a football Seat Rights License but I am concerned about the cost.
-- Bill Johnston, Apex, NC

Answer: As you are well aware, we are in the midst of a major renovation at BB&T Field. We have made a number of improvements already, including the FieldTurf playing surface, adding brick facing inside the stadium, and improving some infrastructure matters. If you have been to any of our games this year, you are well aware of the new construction of Deacon Tower which is Phase 3 of a six-phase project.

Phase 4 of the renovation project will be the complete renovation of all the existing concessions stands and restrooms on both the East and West sides. Phase 5 will be the renovation of portions of Bridger Field House. Finally, Phase 6 will be the renovation of the parking lots to make them more tailgate-friendly.

Our main goal for this renovation is to give you and all of our fans a stadium that you will be proud to call your own. We want BB&T Field to be the best stadium in the country and we would like for our fans to feel that they have experienced a game, not just observed a game. From the performance of the team to the music that is played to the concessions to the halftime entertainment, we would like for our patrons to walk away with a deep sense of pride in having been to a Wake Forest game.

To that extent, we are raising funds to make BB&T Field the best stadium in the country. The Football Seat Rights program will help us meet that goal.

We have tried to price the Seat Rights fee to meet the financial budgets of our fans. The Seat Rights fee is a one-time fee and it can be spaced over 15, 20 or even 25 years.

The Seat Rights fee for the most expensive seat in BB&T Field is a one-time fee of just $2500. If paid out over 25 years, that is simply $100 per year. We feel that is a plan that is affordable to our fans who desire to watch Wake Forest football at BB&T Field.

We hope to see you at many games this fall and in the years to come at beautiful BB&T Field!

September 26, 2007

Q: I know this has been a difficult time at Wake Forest with the passing of Coach Prosser. I do not know Coach Gaudio very well. Do you think he will be as successful as Coach Prosser?
-- Trish, Galax, Va.

A: Trish, you are correct about Coach Prosser's passing. While we have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for this new season, we are still hurting from the loss of Skip. And that will take time to heal.

When we made the decision to hire Dino Gaudio as our head coach, it was made with a great deal of forethought. Dino has shown excellent leadership qualities, even as an assistant coach. We had six years in which to observe his coaching techniques, how he relates to the student-athletes, and what type of leadership qualities he has. In hiring our next coach, we were looking for all of those qualities which Dino possessed. Hiring Coach Gaudio was not a choice solely for convenience. This was made for the long-term future of our program. I believe Dino has an excellent staff that cares a great deal about the welfare of their players. We will all benefit from his experience and expertise.

And we also know that he was mentored for more than 25 years by one of the best basketball coaches you could ever hope to meet in Skip Prosser.

April 13, 2007

Q: I know that the next renovation phase at Groves Stadium includes seats in the Bridger Field House endzone, I was just wondering how many seats that would add to the stadium? Also, has there been any talks about making a horeshoe and extending the two sides of the stadium to connect with the fieldhouse which would add more seats?
-- Deacsfan
RW: Actually, no final decisions have been made about the additional seats in the Bridger Field House end zone. We do have architectural drawings for those seats but we have not reached a decision. Our next phase of construction after the completion of Deacon Tower will be the renovation of restrooms and concession stands on the west and east sides as well as the addition of restrooms and concession stands above Deacon Hill. Bridger Field House will be addressed after those phases have been completed.

Q: Not a question just a plea. (lol) I have a "house divided" for the Sept 8th Nebraska football game and Wake would be doing me a huge favor (I mean BIG) if the ticket price could be held to 30$ and below. All the Nebraska side now reside in Myrtle Beach so they give me a free nice house at the coast I of course, don't want to ask them to help pay for the tickets. -- Doug Collier
RW: If your friends / family is helping you with free housing at the beach, I am sure that the ticket price for the Nebraska game will be well worth it to you...and it will be a bit more than $30 / ticket. We will give our best effort to give you bragging rights with your guests, though!

Q: Last year it was announced that Randolph Childress would be inducted into the Wake Forest Hall of Fame, but he wasn't inducted in last years class or this year's class. Could you please shed some light on this topic for me? As a lifelong Deacon fan, it is my opinion that no other Deacon athlete has demonstrated the spirit and drive of the university better than Randolph. Keep up the good work.
-- Jason (Hickory, NC)
RW: You are correct that Randolph was selected for induction but due to his obligations with his pro basketball team overseas, he has not been able to return for the induction. He is excited about his induction and has done his best to return for the Hall of Fame Weekend the last two years but his team has had games on those weekends the last two years. We are anxious to induct him as he is definitely one of our all-time greats...and no one has ever had an ACC Tournament as he did in 1995.

Q: Are there any plans to make a highlight dvd for the football season?
-- Patrick Lemons
Q: Will the university release a dvd with orange bowl game or any regular season games!!! I'd like to watch it all again, it was so much fun the first time!
-- Anna Booth
RW: In fact, a DVD and a hardback book, both detailing the 2006 football season, are on sale now. You can purchase both, or either, on our website, www.wakeforestsports.com, or by calling the Wake Forest ticket office. Both are outstanding products.

March 29, 2007

Q: Are you disappointed with the men's basketball season? It seems that we're headed in the wrong direction. Just 2 years ago, we were the #1 team in the nation and now, we're not even in the top 100. I was at the Orange Bowl and am excited about the football program, as a life long Deacon fan, I want to be proud of the basketball team again.
-- Petyon Hairston, Jr.

A: There is no doubt that everyone associated with our program is disappointed with the number of wins this year. And the people who are the most disappointed are the players and coaches. However, I am very encouraged about our future and am convinced that we will compete for ACC championships again in the very near future. It was impressive to me that our players practiced and competed hard throughout the year. It would have been easy for them to give less than a complete effort at times but I did not see that either at practice or the games. The team improved the last month of the season because they worked hard and believed in themselves and each other. The last home game against Virginia is an indication of the caliber of play that we will see in the future.

Q: Mr. Wellman....why is it that Wake Forest University does not have a womens softball team?
-- Michael Pfingst

A: We do not have softball for a number of reasons. First of all, we do not have a good facility or adequate land to build a good ballpark. Secondly, we are pleased with the sports that we currently offer and do not have plans to add sports to our program at this time. Finally, a start-up program would drain our department financially.

Q: How many girls on the Wake Forest soccer team made it to the 1996 Olymipic team?
-- Adrienne

A: While we have had a number of All-Americans and All-ACC performers to play soccer at Wake Forest, we did not have a representative on the 1996 women's soccer team.

Q: My church youth group is holding silent auction to raise money for world hunger through World Vision's 30 HOUR FAMINE. Third year we have done this, raising total of OVER $11,000! Do you think there would be any way we could receive an autographed football to auction???? If it just had Coach Grobe, Swank, Skinner and few others, that would be so great. We have many Wake fans at our church and want to support the Deacons. I can bring a football anywhere, anytime. Thanks for your consideration!
-- Donna Fleming

A: We are always anxious to accomodate individuals and groups who want items autographed by our coaches and teams. However, with the strict NCAA rules to protect institutions and student-athletes, we have a process to make sure that we do not violate those regulations. You might want to go to our website for the details of that process or just call our compliance director, Todd Harrison, at 336-758-4243 and he will provide those details. Thanks for your interest and support of the Deacs!

Q: What are the plans for moving into the minor league baseball stadium?
-- Randy

A: As you probably know, both the city and county commissioners have approved the financial plan for the new downtown ballpark for the Warthogs. When the Warthogs move to that ballpark, which is anticipated in 2009, we will move our baseball games to their current ballpark, Ernie Shore Field. Ernie Shore Field is located next to our football stadium and just down Deacon Blvd. from LJVM Coliseum. This location will be a tremendous benefit to our baseball team as we will be able to play night games in a beautiful park that is easily accessible for our fans.

Q: I have heard that several Nebraska fans are buying our season tickets and then selling all but the Nebraska ticket. I was wondering if you were doing a thing where only Deacon Club members could buy tickets now and later make it where only people with zip codes near here could buy them this way a lot of season tickets won't go to visiting teams. Also could you tell me what's the site of future ACC football championships?
-- William Thompson

A: We have a number of safeguards in place to do everything we can to sell our tickets to Demon Deacon fans first. As you probably have noticed, we are already selling football season tickets which is much earlier than any previous year. The response has been excellent thus far with many new fans buying season tickets. Please encourage your fellow Demon Deacon fans to buy their tickets as early as possible so we are sure to fill the stadium with Deacs!

Q: What is the status of maliss washington with the basketball team. i was at the bc vs. wake game and saw her name was not on the program and she was not on the bench. thanks in advance.
-- Ron

A: Melissa decided in February to discontinue her membership on the team.

Q: Does Wake Forest have "Junior" day for high school juniors in football? If so, how do I obtain additional information?
-- Lydia Gortman

A: Yes, we do have a junior day and it is always well attended. Just call the football office at 336-758-5633 for all of the details. As you can imagine, our program is attracting great interest from recruits as a result of our ACC Championship and Orange Bowl appearance. In fact, we invite high school coaches to our spring practices and hosted the most high school coaches at those practices this week that I have ever seen. It's a great time to be a Deac!

March 10, 2007
Open Letter To Demon Deacon Fans

Dear Demon Deacon Fans:

In the last week, our men's basketball team had a great win on Senior Day against Virginia, followed by a thrilling double-overtime win over Georgia Tech that will be remembered as one of the great games in the history of the ACC Tournament. Although the magic was not extended for another night in Tampa, the season ended on a positive note.

This year's team was extremely young but has improved throughout the year and has shown real promise for the future. Our future is bright and I am convinced that we will contend for ACC Championships again very soon.

The one aspect of our program that has not waivered throughout the year, though, is our fan support. You have supported the team throughout the year even when you were undoubtedly frustrated at times with the results of our games. You never gave up on the team and the atmosphere at our game March 3rd vs. Virginia was incredibly good. THANK YOU for your consistent support throughout the season and for giving this young team your full support. I assure you that you made an impact upon everyone in the program with your intense support at every home game.

Once again, Demon Deacon fans stepped up in fine fashion. Whether we are winning an ACC Football Championship or fighting to stay out of the cellar in basketball, you are the BEST FANS in the ACC. The strength of your commitment is felt by our student-athletes and everyone associated with our program. I assure you that your support will be rewarded.

Go Deacs!

Ron Wellman

Q: IF Wake wins at Maryland Saturday, there will be a rush by hundreds of students to make arrangements to travel to Jacksonville on December 2. I certainly expect my son to attend IF Wake beats Maryland. Like many Wake parents, I am concerned that students will be making this trip during the weekend before exams begin on Monday. After spending $41,000 per year we hope for a maximum effort during exams! . Of course, it goes without saying, that I am also concerned about student safety.

I would hope that WFU has given some thought to providing students with access to organized transportation to Jacksonville. Perhaps it is too big of a task for WFU administration to tackle. It would, however, ease the concerns of Wake parents.

Congratulations on a wonderful fall season of athletics at WFU. We are proud that our son is a Demon Deacon!

-- Deacon Fan / November 22, 2006

RW: WHEN our team wins on Saturday, we will immediately send an email to all students, alums, faculty and staff giving them information about tickets and the various travel packages that our travel agent will offer. They will be able to reserve their spot on the trip to Jacksonville through that email. This will be a challenging time for our students with finals starting the Monday after the championship game but tell your son to take his books and computer and study on the bus! Go Deacs!

Q: I see that the ACC Tournament is being held this year in Tampa? Will it return to North Carolina soon and what are the futrue sites of the tournament?

-- Mitch (Seattle) / November 7, 2006

A:The ACC Tournament will return to Greensboro five times through 2015. The tournament through 2015 will be at the following cities:

2007: Tampa, FL

2008: Charlotte

2009: Atlanta

2010: Greensboro

2011: Greensboro

2012: Atlanta

2013: Greensboro

2014: Greensboro

2015: Greensboro

The ACC Women's Basketball Tournament will be hosted by Greensboro every year through 2015. We believe we have found a great home for that tournament in Greensboro!

Finally, the ACC Baseball Tournament will be held in the following cities:

2007: Jacksonville, FL

2008: Jacksonville, FL

2009: Boston (Fenway Park)

Q: I was surprised that there was no penalty on the Virginia Tech player who hit Kevin Harris and caused the fumble. It looked pretty clear like it was helmet-to-helmet contact. Have you heard any explanation why no flag was thrown?

-- Ricky / November 22, 2006

RW: Jim Grobe and I discussed the play that Kevin was injured. Jim had reviewed the video tape of the play numerous times to determine what happened. You are correct that it is illegal for a player to use his helmet as a weapon or to lead with his helmet in making contact. The reason that no penalty was called on this particular play is that both players lowered their heads before contact was made. If just one player lowers his head and uses his helmet as a weapon, there is definitely a violation of the rule and a penalty should be called. However, our video tape clearly identifies both Kevin and the VT plyer lowering their heads prior to contact. Thus, no penalty was called. At practice on Monday, Jim and his staff once again warned our players not to lead with their helmets as it is not only illegal but also very dangerous.

Q: I think you are doing a great job, keep up the good work. My question is about the university adopting Nike as the sponsor and uniform provider for all of its sports. I think that this hinders some of the smaller sports such as Soccer (especially men's) and Field Hockey while not providing a significant impact to the sports that are already Nike like Football and Basketball. Take for instance Soccer (Adidas) and Field Hockey (UnderArmour, I believe), they are near the top of the national rankings in both the polls and attendance. Accordingly, these programs are top priorities for their respective sponsors allowing them to receive top-notch service and attention. By switching to Nike, these sports will go from a priority to an afterthought. Nike sponsors so many programs that they won't be able to provide the same service that Adidas and UnderArmour have over the past few years. I understand that these are not "revenue sports", but they have been much more successful t! han the football and basketball teams and deserve the right to choose their sponsor themselves. Thank you for taking my question.

-- Jeff / November 15, 2006

Q: I e-mailed Nike the other day in regard to getting some replica football jerseys and they e-mailed back and said they had some. I was wondering if you could contact them to see if we could get those in the Deacon Store. I would greatly appreciate ANYTHING you could do for all these fans that would buy one. (I know a bunch of people would!)

-- Blair Smith / November 15, 2006

RW: Our approach to selecting an equipment sponsor is to determine what is best for the entire department. As you know, Nike has been our sponsor for football, men and women's basketball, men and women's golf for a number of years. When we renegotiated that contract, Nike expressed an interest in becoming the sponsor for all of our sports. After lengthy discussions, Nike convinced us that they will treat all of our teams equally well. There are many benefits for us to be associated with just one sponsor rather than having different sponsors for different teams. We would only make this change with the assurance that all sports will be treated exceptionally well by Nike.

Q: Can you tell me the future sites of the ACC football championship game and how are those sites determined?

-- Carlos (Winston-Salem) / November 15, 2006

RW: The sites are determined by a vote of the ACC Athletic Directors. As you know, Jacksonville was awarded the game the first two years (2005 and 2006). Since Jacksonville was an excellent host last year (we had the best attendance and highest television ratings of all the conference championship games) and the ticket sales for this year's game are excellent, I am confident that we will return to Jacksonville for at least the 2007 game. I hope you will have the opportunity to go to the championship game as it is quite an event.

Q: What are the chances of a UNC-Wake football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008, which will be the 120th anniversary of each school's first-ever football game, against each other?

-- Jason / November 15, 2006

RW: The conference schedules all of our conference games. A number of factors are taken into consideration but I am not aware that "anniversary" games are given much, if any, consideration. However, I will notify the conference of the anniversary date of this game and maybe they will attempt to schedule it on the mid-October date.

Q: Wake has experienced some devastating early season injuries.What are the chances the NCAA will extend the careers of these players.

-- Bill Sater / November 15, 2006

RW: We will apply for medical hardship waivers for those players who qualify for it. The NCAA has recently "loosened up" a bit on these matters, especially as it relates to awarding a sixth year of competition for those who have been injured after they had already been awarded a medical hardship waiver or even if they had been redshirted previously. It is a rather lengthy process to apply for the medical hardship and we will do that once all of the medical documentation has been finalized.

Q: What do you think can be done to get the fans more invovled during home games? Majority of the fans just dont be into the game. The players play better and feeds off the crowd. Its terrible when the away section is lowder than the home. Also how do feel about Josh Gattis off the field sucess, as well as on the field?

-- Joe Gattis / November 15, 2006

RW: Our fans could not have been better than they were at our BC game. Numerous fans who have had season tickets since Groves Stadium was opened in 1968 told me that it was the best atmosphere they had ever witnessed at one of our games. Our challenge now is to maintain that enthusiasm at our Virginia Tech game and in future years. I am confident that our fans will continue to respond positively to our team and that the atmosphere will continue to get better and better. Josh Gattis is a real credit to our university not only because he is a great player but also because he is an outstanding person. Our local television station did a special report on Josh a couple weeks ago. He volunteers at one of the local elementary schools. He goes to the school every week and has developed a wonderful relationship with the students in the class in which he volunteers. In fact, Josh invited them to the BC game and he took a number of them in the locker room after the game. I'm not sure who was smiling broader...Josh or his students.

Q: Will Dennis Godfrey ever play for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, or will he ever be able to enroll in school? -- A Wake Fan / November 15, 2006

RW: Due to NCAA rules, we are not permitted to comment about any recruit.

Q: No question but an "attaboy" to the football team and Coach Grobe. I live in CT and went to the WFU-UConn game in Hartford. My fiancee (a Deputy Medical Examiner for the State of CT) went and were a bit appregensive, as we were in the minority. I basked in the victory and am proud of Our Team!! GO DEACS!

-- The Rev. Harry A. Arsenault, Ph.D. (WFU-69) / November 15, 2006

RW: I'm glad the Deacs made you proud that day and gave you bragging rights with your UCONN friends!

Q: Mr. Wellman, as a season ticket holder for men's basketball for 10+ yrs. now I have enjoyed the elevated excitment that has grown since coach Prosser has taken over the program. However, as season ticket holder who sits upstairs it would be great if the tees that are given out at the big games could be given to ALL the Deacon fans. I was also wondering if it would be possible for our pep band to learn a few new tunes...the same old same old is a bit tired considering how we are trying to create such an electric enviroment...Joy To The World seems a bit outdated. I would also like to know if there are any plans to change up the Deacon's entrance on the Harley? Thanks for everything you and your staff are doing at Wake....Go DEACS!

-- Brian / November 15, 2006

RW: Thanks for your suggestions. One part of our game production that we do not want to change is our motorcycle. We have more fans commenting positively about that part of the introductions than anything we do. Regarding the t-shirts, we find sponsors for that give-away and while we encourage the sponsor to include everyone attending the game, that has not happened yet. I assure you we will keep trying. The song selection is determined by our band. They do a great job of creating a good environment but I have heard similar comments about the "consistency" of the songs being played from year to year. We will encourage them to expand their horizons a bit.

Q: An idea... I saw below a question about t-shirt giveaways (like the occasional basketball games). I like the blackout concept and agree with you that it worked well. But I also like the look of alternating black and gold colors in the sections of LJVM. I think the same effect could be achieved in Groves Stadium by alternating sections with black and gold pompoms. It seems plausible. And to do it for a TV game like BC... what a look that would give the ESPN viewers! What do you think?

-- Bret / November 15, 2006

RW: I like it and will pass it along to our marketing department. One challenge would be the distribution of the correct color to the fans as they enter the game. It would be nearly impossible to put the pom-pons on the seats as we do at the basketball games with the t-shirts. We would have to put the pom-pons on the seats the day before the game. Doing that for a sport that is played outdoors is somewhat "iffy" with the possibility of bad weather. There still might be a way to overcome the logistical matters, though, so I will discuss it with our marketing staff...they are very resouceful!

Q: How should folks direct suggestions regarding game-hype ideas to the Athletic Dept.? Right now, hope of a connection is a roll of the dice.

-- Kevin / November 15, 2006

RW: Contact our marketing office (336-758-5010). They will be glad to hear from you.

Q: With the upcoming game against BC, there has been talk about various promotions that have been considered and 'thundersticks' being one of them. Furthermore, it has also been brought up that such 'artificial noise makers' are prohibited. Is that an NCAA rule or ACC rule and can you explain it?

-- Matt / November 15, 2006

RW: Artificial noise makers are prohibited by the NCAA which is the reason you do not see "thundersticks" at college events. Our fans did not need them at the BC game...they did a great job without them!

Q: I would just like to say that the Wake- BC game was amazing. Seeing mainly all wake fans wearing black was great. I have never been to a wake game like that and i hope that kind of atmosphere will be at the next game. Also the pom poms were a great touch, will they be giving those out again at the last home game? People i have talked to said it looked awesome seeing all the pom poms going from the tv

-- Sara / November 15, 2006

RW: You are right on all accounts. I have gotten calls from across the country from people who watched the game on TV about our team and crowd. A tradition may have started that night with everyone wearing black. We plan to encourage everyone to do the same this Saturday against Virginia Tech. Go Deacs!

Q: We can all agree that todays game vs. BS is the biggest home game in recent memory. It is also being nationally televised. Why there hasn't there been a concerted effort to try to "black out" the stadium either through messages on the website or broadcast emails to the student body or both?

-- Jamie Fitzgerald / November 15, 2006

RW: Our "Screamin Demons" typically wear gold to our games because that is the color of the t-shirt they are given. We did not want to change their tradition of wearing gold and thought that it would be a nice contrast to everyone else wearing black. We might try the "total black-out" against Virginia Tech.

Q: Last night at the game they gave out palm palms and had fire works was that just for one game or are we going to start doing that?

-- Dallas / November 15, 2006

RW: The promotions for the BC game were just for that game but we try to do something different each game...I'm sure you'll like the production plans for the Virginia Tech game.

Q: Last wake football game there was funny sounds comming from the speaker it was like someone stole a mike or somthing. Do you know what that was?

-- Dallas / November 15, 2006

RW: Unfortunately, some students were able to access an area that had microphones that could be turned on. They had no idea that they were "playing" with a live microphone and that their comments were being broadcast in the stadium. When they were caught, they were quite surprised that their comments were heard by everyone in the stadium. I assure you that our security will improve to prevent that from happening again.

Q: As a Wake Forest Freshman and huge college hoops fan I was disappointed to realize last week that Wake did not conduct a Midnight Madness practice like many of the premier NCAA programs do. It is a fun event and one that gets the entire university pumped for another exciting season. Nonetheless, if the "Speed Demons" run and gun, and press like they shoould this year, it will be an exciting up tempo style of basketball that will be highly entertaining. The screaming Demons will also be out in full force, maybe stronger than ever this year as I can attest to by the line last Wednesday that stretched over an entire block. GO DEACS!

-- Stephen Edwards WFU Class of 2010 / November 15, 2006

RW: We have had Midnight Madness events in previous years but decided not to have it this year because the weekend of the first basketball practice fell on fall break weekend. The success of the event is dependent on student attendance and since they were not on campus that weekend, we did not believe it would be as successful as it has been in the past. You are correct about this year's team...it promises to be an exciting year and I'm glad to hear that the students are ready to have a great time!

Q: Decades ago there was a holiday basketball tournament every December that involved the instate big 4 - Wake, State, Carolina, & Duke. Is there any chance of that ever being resurrected. It was a lot of fun and a big draw in Greensboro prior to the season. PS Keep up the great work. Your coaching staffs are awesome!

-- Jim / November 15, 2006

RW: I have heard an awful lot about the Big 4 Tournament but never had the pleasure of witnessing the event as it had been discontinued prior to my coming to WFU. It is doubtful that it will be resurrected anytime in the near future. Each of the four teams is attempting to play a certain number of home games and playing two games on the road for the Big 4 Tournament decreases the opportunities that would be available for home games. In addition, playing conference teams in nonconference games does not give us the opportunity to play teams from other conferences that can help us when NCAA Tournament bids are issued. Unfortunately, there are just too many factors working against bringing the tournament back.

Q: You know that Wake is pre-season 10 in the ACC in basketball. Do you think Prosser has gotten that young group together to compete with higher ranked teams in the ACC?

-- Russell / November 15, 2006

RW: Everyone knows that we will have a very young team but I would be surprised if we finish 10th in the conference. The team and coaches are working extremely hard in preparation for the season and I think that everyone will enjoy watching this team mature and improve throughout the season.

Q: How do you think our basketball team will be this year with all of our new freshman coming in and taking place of the losses of Eric Williams and Justin Gray

-- David Vlachos / November 15, 2006

RW: We will be exciting, fun to watch and a team that will improve throughout the year.

Q: What are the tight black nike bands being worn on the football players arms. They are being worn above the elbow and on the legs as well. Thanks GO DEACS!!

-- Justin / October 23, 2006

RW: The black bands that our football players wear on their arms or legs are strictly for aesthetic purposes. They have no medical benefit but they sure do look good.

Q: Is the new football Stadium still going to be called Grove Stadium?

-- Dallas / October 23, 2006

RW: We do not have another name planned for Groves Stadium at this time. We have considered a number of options but those options are not as attractive as the current name of our stadium.

Q: Iam a Wake Forest Fan for over thirty years. Why does the football team play not to win and not to win. Coach said he was to conscrvative aginst Clemmons. Then he comes back against State and runs the ball on 1st down and 2nd down and throws it on 3rd. This is the same thing they have been doing. I will always be a Wake Fan but I sure would like to see them play to win instead of playing not to lose. I wish we would open the game up. I think Coach is a great coach but he could also so some emotion on the sidelines. Players respond to the head coach not always to the assitance coaches. I hope some day it will change for the team and the fans who come out each game to support them. Thanks for the oppotunity to talk to you.

-- Mike / October 23, 2006

RW: I assure you that everything Coach Grobe and his staff do is in an attempt to win. That is their most important priority competitively and every decision they make is an effort to reach that goal. We won the NC State game because our coaches made the right decisions and put our players in a position to win...and our players came through just as the coaches anticipated they would. Our players respond to our coaches' motivational techniques very well. All of those techniques are not always visible to our fans but the coaches do know how to motivate our players. The attribute that is most evident about our team is that they are always ready to play and always give a great effort...that is the result of great motivation. Regarding the "conservative approach" against Clemson and NC State, we used a number of "trick" plays in the Clemson game and a number of plays in the NC State game that would not be classified as conservative. Our coaches know our players and our opponents better than any of us and I trust their ability to exploit our strengths and our opponents' weaknesses.

Q: I have heard you folks put on a great football camp for the kids. Can you tell me when the next camp will be? Any other information would be welcome, length, cost etc. Thank You for you time.

-- Tommy Cooper / October 23, 2006

RW: We do have a number of weeks of football camps in the summer. All of the details (dates, cost, age requirements) will be available on the football section of our web page very soon.

Q: Why don't you have the e-mail addresses of your coaches on the web stie?

-- Wilson Edwards / October 23, 2006

RW: Thank you for taking the time to look through our website. Actually, the e-mail addresses of every athletic department employee is available on our website. Go to "WFU Athletic Department" on the right-hand side of the page and download the staff directory. Thanks again and Go Deacs!

Q: How do you think the baseball team will look this upcoming year?

-- Mark Stansbury / October 23, 2006

RW: Our baseball team will continue to improve this year. We have a number of returning players who will continue to improve. Coach Rembielak and his staff also attracted an excellent recruiting class. If you want to get an early sneak preview, the team is currently practicing every day at Hooks Stadium. Their fall Black and Gold Series will be played the week before Thanksgiving. Go watch them practice...it's a enjoyable way to spend a fall afternoon.

Q: With President Hatch's arrival, there's been considerable anticipation of either a football game in South Bend and/or a hoops series with Notre Dame developing soon. Can you comment on if this is 'in the works' ?

-- Tom / October 23, 2006

RW: Dr. Hatch has not encouraged or discouraged me about scheduling Notre Dame in football. In fact, I have not even discussed that matter with him. You may recall that we were having discussions a couple years ago with Notre Dame about a game with them. However, those discussions did not materialize in a game for various reasons. Most recently (just this week), we have begun talking with ND again about a possible game. I'm not sure that these discussions will result in a game either but we are certainly willing to discuss the possibility with them. Our future schedules include some very attractive teams...Army, Navy, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, Stanford, Air Force. We will continue to schedule excellent teams for our team to play and our fans to watch.

Q: I see that Rutgers and George Mason have reduced athletic programs because the ratio of men to women in the university had moved out of line with the ratio of male to female athletes. This meant they were no longer in compliance with Title IX even though the athletic programs were 50/50. What are the male to female ratios at Wake, and will you have any problems with Title IX?

-- Scott Bihl / October 23, 2006

RW: There are numerous ways to satisfy Title IX. Proportionality is one method but there are others such as recent additions or improvements to the program or satisfying the needs / interests of your student population. We do not aniticipate any additions or cuts to our program as we believe that we are in compliance with the Title IX guidelines.

Q: As you know, UNC, Duke, and NC State are big rivals for Wake. I was wondering if Wake was going to open the Annex for extra seating for those home games. I also want to suggest that one thing Wake could do is open the colesuim, or the annex, for Wake away games and show them there for those at Wake or that live in and around Winston-Salem. One last thing, when is the Gold and Black game for the men's basketball team?

-- Price Blissit / October 23, 2006

RW: Those games are big games for us and are definitely our rivals since they are all NC schools and are a part of Tobacco Road. We have chosen not to televise those games in the Annex because they are so available on television that we believe most fans would rather stay at home or go to their local establishment to watch the games. We did offer the UCONN football game, which was televised on ESPN 360, to our students at Brendle Recital Hall and it was well attended. We will continue to monitor this situation and evaluate if televising those games at a central location would be attractive to our fans.

Q:: My is a comment: Thanks for a wonderful hire in the girls assistant coach in golf. Do not let her get away. Wonderful recruiter.

-- Lee West / October 23, 2006

RW: Lee: You are right...Kathy Choi-Rogers is doing a great job of not only recruiting but also coaching our golfer. Dianne Dailey is really happy to have her as her assistant.

Q: After last years trip to Nebraska and their band played our fight song I thought our band was going to do that for visiting teams. I have not heard it done as yet. What gives???

-- RP Harris / October 23, 2006

RW: Our band played our opponents' fight songs last year. We have chosen not to do so this year because our pregame time is limited and we want to have our band on the field for as long as possible. I do believe that playing their fight song to welcome them to our stadium was (and is) the right thing to do and we will continue to consider playing it in the future. We evaluate our entire game production after the season and this will be discussed as a possibility for next year.

Q: We have a rather small, but very loyal fan base--particularly the die-hard group that will travel anywhere, etc. to see the Deacs. With the 5-1 start, a bowl game is certainly looking like a distinct possibility, however we do have a reputation as a school that doesn't "travel" as well as its larger counterparts. With ACC bowl tie-ins in places diverse as Boise, Idaho and San Francisco, what role do you and the ACC office play in negotiating with the eight bowls that ACC tie-ins, and what must a school like Wake typically guarantee the bowl in terms of tickets sold, hotel rooms booked, etc.?

-- Chris / October 23, 2006

RW: As you stated, the ACC has eight bowl tie-ins. There is a selection process that we have agreed upon with each of the bowls. That process has effectively taken the individual schools out of negotiating with the bowls which is good for all of our schools. The bowls select the teams that will be invited to their bowl but there are rather tight guidelines for the selection process. The bowls also work with the ACC staff to determine the best location for each team. All of that being said, it is still important for us to "travel well" when our team goes to a bowl. I am confident that we will!

Q: For the first time, I heard the city of Winston Salem actually making public hype about our Deacs football team. Is there anyway our marketing department can continue to work with areas of the city, such as TV News and Radio shows to continue to create buzz about Wake football? Also, the stadium looked awesome Saturday against Clemson with all the fans in black. When I travel to other stadiums for away games, it seems that they are saturated in their team color (orange at Clemson, Carolina Blue at UNC, Red at State, etc.) Can we continue to promote the "Black Out Groves" theme to create a unifying effect in pumping up the team? Im proud of out guys - GO DEACS!

-- Danny Coomer / October 23, 2006

RW: You are right...there is a buzz around W-S and the Triad about our football team. Our marketing department has worked very hard to promote our team to all of our media outlets and those outlets have responded affirmatively. We will continue to do everything we can to promote the team. Your suggestion about "Black out Groves" is excellent. The Clemson game proved that our fans will wear their black to support the team. Let's do it every game!

Q: If I am reading the plans correctly for the renovations at Groves, during stage 5, we will be adding more seating directly in front of Bridger, somewhat completing the horseshoe. Are there additional plans that can be seen of Stage 5 showing the completed appearance, how the gateways will appear where the Deacs storm the field and also, will this be open fan seating, student seating, or band seating? Two years ago when we played UNC, additional seating was brought in to cover parts of Deacon Hill as well as in front of Bridger and it added a HUGE difference in the feel to Wake Forest's Groves Stadium making it feel more like a true top notch establishment. The Deacs are truly on the move to becoming one of the top teams and the attendance at Groves will be growing.

-- Danny Coomer / October 23, 2006

RW: You are correct that Phase 5 of the football stadium renovation project is to possibly add seats and / or suites to Bridger. Whether we actually implement that plan will depend upon the demand for additional seats. The plan is simply a concept right now so there are no details that we have available to share but the plan will be further developed as we go forward. I am confident that we will need the seats!

Q: Does Groves Stadium have a "Ring of Honor" planned with historic names & Numbers of former football players (i.e. Piccolo, Pace, etc.)

-- Steve Fowler `91 / October 23, 2006

RW: We have discussed the "Ring of Honor" concept often. We have not settled on anything yet but we will continue to discuss it as a part of a future phase of the football stadium renovation project. We need to honor the great players and teams in our history and the renovation project will give us an opportunity to do recognize them in a classy manner.

Q: This is not a question, but, I have never seen, in the long history of Wake football, non-competitive for the most part, the most incredible meltdown at that Clemson game. To depart from a winning strategy, inspiring confidence and smart play, and then to play timidly and allow for mistakes galore has deflated all my expectations of what once appeared to be a sound football team. I think Coach Grobe is exceptionally well for Wake, but this has to be the most embarrassing defeat for me of all time. I have been a Deacon Club member for many years and plan to stay one.......but I am speechless for that exhibition.

-- Danny E. Huntley, MD `73, `77 / October 21, 2006

RW: I understand your frustration with the Clemson loss but the team bounced back with a great win at NC State last Saturday. All of us in the stands can second guess coaches and that is part of being a fan of a team but the coaches are in the best possible position to make the critical decisions during the game. The coaches know their team and their personnel better than anyone. They have a better "feel" for the game than anyone. They know the psyche of their team better than anyone. They know the opponent better than anyone. After the Clemson game Coach Grobe even second guessed himself when he was interviewed by the media. That is natural for any coach to do but he and his staff make the very best decisions that they can during the game. When those decisions were being made during the game, I agreed with everything we were doing. After the game it is tempting to reflect and second guess some of those decisions. Jim Grobe and his staff have made excellent decisions in building our program to this level and I have complete confidence in them to continue to make good decisions. I encourage you not to be disillusioned with a tough loss...this team came back strong against NC State and they will continue to make us proud the rest of the season.

Q: At the Liberty game I couldn't help notice that the Duke flag on top of the visitor's side was not there and in its place was a black flag with what looked like Roman Numerals. What happened to the usual flag of the visiting team and what does this flag represent?

-- Jim Conrad / October 21, 2006

RW: You are correct that the Duke flag was replaced at homecoming. The new flag was an emblem of a student group devoted to sustaining the traditional spirit of Wake Forest. It was raised in honor of homecoming. The group is doing a great job and I look forward to their continuing activities to promote the spirit of Wake Forest.

Q: I just flipped to the Wake women's basketball page and noticed that one of our best players from last year---Deirdre Naughton---is not on the 2006-07 roster. Did she transfer?

-- Mike Petusky / October 21, 2006

RW: Deirdre Naughton did transfer to DePaul University in Chicago. Deirdre grew up just north of Chicago and she wanted to get back to that area so her family could see her play more often. She had an excellent year for us and we were sorry to lose her but we are excited about the team that we will have this year as it should be another significant step forward for us. Hope to see you at the games!

Q: Is there a website where Wake fans can buy and sell game tickets?

-- Sonny Cassady / October 21, 2006

RW: There is no such website currently but we are investigating that possibility for the future. There are a number of programs available that provide that service but, thus far, we have not found one that meets all of needs. We will continue to search for a program that will give us everything that we want.

Q: How does it look for the 2006 2007 basketball season? I can't wait!

-- Dallas / October 9, 2006

RW: Everyone is excited about this year's basketball team. The team will be young with six true freshmen and a redshirt freshman on the roster but we will return to the up-tempo style of play that our teams have played under Coach Prosser. I look forward to seeing you at the coliseum...it should be a fun-filled season!

Q: I really enjoyed reading the article about you in the ACC Sports Journal that came out today! I think you hired the greatest football coach that Wake Forest has ever had! I wish you could talk Coach Grobe into having a fan contest and the winner gets to be on the sideline for 1 game?

-- Kevin Sparks / October 9, 2006

RW: Sounds like you would like to help Coach Grobe on the sideline! Having a fan contest with the winner getting a sideline pass is a good idea but we have to be real careful about the number of people on the sidelines. That is a working area for photographers and we do our best not to have non-working personnel on the sidelines. It can also get a bit dangerous when players go out of bounds full speed.

Q: I recently attended the WFU/Ole Miss game in Oxford, MS, which was great fun. However, I noticed that the band and cheerleaders/dancers were missing. I felt they could have added a lot to the game and wanted to know why they didn't come to cheer on the team?

-- Kim Murawski / October 9, 2006

RW: We try to take our cheerleaders and band to as many games as possible but the distance to this game made it practically impossible. Normally the band travels by bus to most conference games but the distance to Ole Miss prevented that mode of travel. The charter plane that the team took did not have enough seats for the cheerleaders. We thought about taking the cheerleaders on a charter plane with our donors but that plane departed on Thursday and did not return until Sunday which would have kept the squad members off campus more than three days. Fortunately, our fans who went to the Ole Miss game did a great job of cheering on their own!

Q: If construction for the renovations begins at the end of this season, what will the stadium look like for the 2007 football season?

-- Edward (Bethesda, Md.) / October 9, 2006

RW: If we begin construction after this season (that decision has not been made yet), we will not have Deacon Tower completed for the 2007 season. We anticipate getting some type of temporary occupancy permit for the press during that season. The frame of Deacon Tower should be completed so our fans will be able to see the size of the tower but we will not occupy it until 2008.

Q: Do you think Wake has a chance in there next three football games?

-- Josh Hinson / October 9, 2006

RW: Yes!

Q: We added vanderbilt back to the football schedule; Is there any plans to bring back APP. STATE series(1-AA)? Or make wakes schedule tougher, by bringing in tougher 1-A schools? -- David Lawson / October 9, 2006

RW: Appalachian State is not on our future football schedules. If you compare our nonconference schedule to others in the ACC or other BCS conferences, you will find that our schedule is more competitive than most. I compare our schedule to the other ACC schedules each year and overall our schedule is always in the top half and usually higher. This year we played opponents from the SEC and two from the Big East. When we scheduled each of those teams a number of years ago, they were all very competitive or championship contenders in their respective conference. Our future schedules will remain very competitive with games against Army, Navy, Air Force, Northern Illinois, Stanford, Ole Miss and Nebraska. We believe that a tough nonconference schedule prepares our team well and gives our fans the opportunity to see some very good national caliber teams.

Q: With the upcoming football game against Clemson setting up to be a huge game, is there any chance of providing black and/or gold t-shirts similar to that of the basketball games? I feel it would make a great statement on television and do wonders for the team!

-- Matt / October 9, 2006

Q: One thing that has enhanced the basketball game atmosphere at Wake is the t-shirts given out to fans to fill the Joel with black and gold. For football, one element notably missing in the stands is the school colors. I have been to Carolina Panthers games where the PA announcer asks the fans to wear a particular color - usually the same color the team will wear - to the next game. Can WFU do the same thing - for example, at the Liberty game, announce that we want all Wake fans to wear black shirts and make Groves a "BLACKOUT" for the Clemson game? I believe that encouraging the fans to dress to support the team will enhance the game atmosphere, and the only way to spread the word is through the PA, the Grobe show, and maybe print before the game.

-- Jeffrey Batts / October 9, 2006

RW: Our fans did a great job of wearing black at the game against Clemson. It was an excellent atmosphere. Thanks!

Q: I live in Columbia,SC. Does Wake Forest have a coaches show on during the week on FSS? -- Kevin Sparks / October 9, 2006 RW: We do not have coaches' television shows. We have found that we touch more of our fans through our coaches' radio show and the Deacon Minute in prime time on WXII.

Q: How about offering an official Wake Forest Nike football jersey for sale. Many schools do that including ND.

-- Pete Rotatori III, law class of 1988 / October 1, 2006

A: We do sell replica football jerseys at the mall Deacon Shop. There are a quite a few numbers available and a good inventory of sizes. If you haven't visited the mall Deacon Shop, I encourage you to do so. It is quite a store and has been instrumental in getting our merchandise sold to people who do not visit the campus Deacon Shop very often.

Q: Will the WFU vs. Ole Miss football game be a home & home series? if so, do you have the date for the game next year in Winston-Salem?

-- Ted Barringer (Class of `81) / October 1, 2006

A: We are scheduled to play Ole Miss on September 6, 2008 at Groves. We look forward to hosting them in what we anticipate will be a renovated Groves Stadium. Their fans were fantastic to our traveling party (fans and team) and we look forward to hosting their fans in a similar manner at our stadium.

Q: I was disappointed to see that the wf - duke hockey game was 1 hr after the football game started a few weeks ago. It seemed to be a duke weekend and it would have been nice to have the game times arranged so fans could see both. With the quality and excellence of the hockey teams it is disappointing that they did not get their "own billing"

-- Anna Spring / October 1, 2006

A: A number of our fans have mentioned their disappointment about the scheduling conflict. The field hockey game was scheduled for a 1:00 start not knowing when the football game would be scheduled to start. When we learned that the football game would be televised at noon, we discussed delaying the field hockey game but logistically that would have caused a real problem for many including some of our field hockey fans who had travel plans based on the 1:00 start. In addition, our field hockey team played the next afternoon as well and a later game time on Saturday would have given them less recovery time for their game on Sunday. Since the Sunday game was against a ranked opponent, we did not want to put our team at a disadvantage by delaying their Saturday game time.

Q: Now that Greenville SC has a new Baseball Stadium to replace the old Municipal Stadium (site for many ACC Baseball Tournaments). What are the chances the ACC Tournament will be back in Greenville in the future?

-- Scott Harrison / September 27, 2006

A: The ACC Baseball Tournament will go back to Jacksonville in 2007 and 2008, then go to Fenway Park in Boston in 2009. The ACC Baseball Committee will request bids for the 2010 through 2011 or 2012 in the fall of 2008. We typically have about four to six cities interested in hosting the tournament and Greenville is certainly welcome to bid on future tournaments. Greenville hosted the tournament a number of times in the early and mid 1990's and always did a nice job. A new park in Greenville would undoubtedly enhance their chances of attracting future tournaments.

Q: Are you planning on adding any sports to your program In particular, softball and wrestling?

-- Bryan Daniel / September 27, 2006

A: We do not have any plans to add any sports to our program. We are very pleased with the number of sports that we currently offer and adding sports would be very difficult to do from a facility and financial standpoint.

Q: I am a true WFU baseball fan and I attend all there game home and away . Why does WF only use 2 umpires for their non-conference games ?? When all over ACC schools employ 3 umpires for their non-conference games. It looks as if WF doesn't care about baseball as much as other sports . It that going to change ??

-- Richard Rogers / September 27, 2006

A: Thank you for your support of our baseball team. Hiring two umpires for non-conference games does not reflect our commitment to baseball. It is simply a matter of priorities and we believe that two umpires are very capable of effectively working the game. Three umpires are used in conference games because we play three-game series and having three umpires gives each umpire an opportunity to work the plate rather than having one umpire work the plate two games which would be the case with a two-man crew.

Q: Does Title IX require colleges to give the same number of athletic scholarships for men's and women's sports, or does the amount of money spent on men's and women's athletic programs have to be equal? Go Deacs!

-- Chris / September 27, 2006

A: It is not necessary for the number of athletic scholarships to be equal or the same amount of money to be spent on the men and women's programs. There are a number of methods that a school can use to satisfy Title IX requirements. There are 13 different areas that are evaluated to meet the Title IX expectations. If a school passes that test, then the department can satisfy Title IX mandates through a proportionality test, recent program expansion and / or improvements or meeting the interests of the student body.

Q: Where can we find jerseys of our favorite players? My god-son plays football there at WFU and I would like a football jersey with him name and number. How can I find this?

-- Cheri Hughes / September 27, 2006

A: The Deacon Shop, either at the mall or on campus, is the best outlet for all Wake Forest merchandise. All jersey numbers are not available as there is not enough demand for close to 100 different jersey numbers to be inventoried. I hope your godson's jersey is one that is available.

Q: Wonderful forum. Thanks for taking the time. Given our upcoming renovations to Groves coupled with our game against Duke on TV last week I wanted to ask this question. Have we investigated what it would take to have the TV cameras and truck on the East side of the stadium? I understand there are some logistical issues being opposite of the pressbox, reversing the WF for the cameras, as well as the need to create a camera platform atop the East stands. Unfortunately, the stands looked rather empty on the east side against Duke, and it did not come across well on TV. Also, when those stands are full, there are many more visiting fans in those stands than on the west side, so the cameras show them quite a bit. Plus, we will have this beautiful new facility that will not be shown that often on TV due to the cameras being on the same side. I'm sure it will cost to make the change, but I hope we've considered it. It would be well worth the expense to show off our facility and give us the best chance of looking impressive on TV each week. The current camera angles do not give people a good perception of WF football at all. Thanks for all you do. Good times are ahead for all our programs!! Go Deacs!!

-- Noel / September 27, 2006

A: That is a great idea. The television folks like to have their cameras on the west side so the sun is not shining into the camera, which can present some real challenges for them. You have identified many benefits of having the cameras on the east side, though, and we will definitely look into it. Of course, the best way to eliminate the problem of showing less than full stands is to fill the stands with Wake Forest fans which is our ultimate goal.

Q: I AM HAPPY AS A BIG TIME FAN TO HAVE YOU AS AD, I FEEL IT IS FINE JOB OFFERING GROBE AND PROSSER BIG TIME CONTRACTS. I WAS HOPING YOU THREE AND SOME OF THE OTHER GREAT COACHES WE HAVE WOULD STAY TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WHAT IS YOUR CONTRACT? DO YOU HAVE DREAM JOB? OR WHAT YOUR DREAM BE TO TURN WAKE INTO DOMINANT FOOTBALL & BASKETBALL PROGRAMS. THEY ARE ALREADY DOING AWESOME JOB. THANKS FOR THE JOB YOU DO!

-- Larry Johnson / September 27, 2006

A: Thank you for your nice comments. I have my dream job!

Q: Freshman fall athletes arrive early and their parents are invited to an "orientation" at that time. The freshman class comes a week later. The one-hour orientation is limited to imparting information about sport, training and NCAA rules. Due to the distances involved freshman parents do not generally return for the university's orientation.

Has any thought been given to a scaled down university orientation for the many parents of freshman fall athletes or at least a distribution of the literature other freshman families get that weekend (I don't believe we had any specific info about Family Weekend, for example)? One event that was available to arriving parents of incoming freshman athletes was the hoopla of the Demon Deacon Fan Fest, which was delightful. We stumbled on it by staying an extra day, but I do not remember having received any advance information.

-- Mary / September 27, 2006

A: Having an abbreviated orientation for parents who bring their sons / daughters to campus early is a good idea. The difficulty will be coordinating everything with all of the teams reporting at different times and the fact that those early arriving teams are extremely busy once they get to campus. However, it is an excellent suggestion to provide some of the orientation information to the parents and we will definitely look into it. I am glad that you found Demon Deacon Fan Fest and hope that you will return to enjoy that event in the future.

Q: Why is music played on the stadium speakers while the band marches onto the field at the beginning of the game? I feel this is disrespectful to the efforts of band members and a distraction to the fans who appreciate the marching band as an integral component of the college football experience.

-- Harold DeSanty / September 27, 2006 A: We do our best to strike a balance between our marching band and the canned music. The band director and our marketing and promotions staff plan the game's events in detail and are in constant communication throughout the game in an attempt to respond to every situation in the most appropriate manner. They are always "tweaking" the way the game is produced to give our fans the most enjoyable experience possible. Believe me, the last thing we want to do is disrespect our band. They are a critical part of producing a great atmosphere at Groves Stadium and everyone appreciates their contribution to that enviroment.

Q: How can we view the WFU games on ESPN 360 in Charlotte, NC? I tried via the web and through DirecTV, but neither works.

-- Marion Jones / September 27, 2006 A: Great question! We are still trying to figure it out ourselves. In fact, our IT staff worked for hours to get ESPN 360 available in Bridger Field House and on campus for our fans and students to watch the UCONN game. They were eventually successful but it was a real challenge and definitely not easy. It is obvious that ESPN needs to make it easier for everyone to access. I wish I could give you simple directions to access the channel but those simple instructions aren't available yet.

Q: With Andrews possibly out for the year, Bryant banged up, and Kevin Harris the only other active running back at the moment, is there any chance that we will see Josh Adams this season?

-- Jack Odell / September 27, 2006

A: Both Josh Adams and Lucas Capparelli traveled to Ole Miss and would have played if needed. We obviously hope to redshirt both of them but will do what is best for the team this year. Both of them have looked very good in practice and both have an excellent future with us.

Q: Now that Greenville SC has a new Baseball Stadium to replace the old Municipal Stadium (site for many ACC Baseball Tournaments). What are the chances the ACC Tournament will be back in Greenville in the future?

-- Scott Harrison / September 27, 2006

A: The ACC Baseball Tournament will go back to Jacksonville in 2007 and 2008, then go to Fenway Park in Boston in 2009. The ACC Baseball Committee will request bids for the 2010 through 2011 or 2012 in the fall of 2008. We typically have about four to six cities interested in hosting the tournament and Greenville is certainly welcome to bid on future tournaments. Greenville hosted the tournament a number of times in the early and mid 1990's and always did a nice job. A new park in Greenville would undoubtedly enhance their chances of attracting future tournaments.

Q: It's time that WFU add lacrosse as a varsity sport for men and women. I sincerely believe that we'd be competitive within a short period of time at the ACC and national D-1 level (just like our womens' soccer and field hockey programs). More importantly, lacrosse is incredibly popular right now among young people across the country and participation is growing rapidly in the south. I believe that WFU as an institution is currently at a disadvantage in attracting top academic and athletic talent by not offering lacrosse as a varsity sport. So here is my question, what do WFU and its alumni base need to do to start a lacrosse program?

-- Tom Horner, Class of 1997 / September 21, 2006

A: You are correct that lacrosse is a popular sport in many parts of the country and that the sport is becoming more popular on the Eastern Seaboard and at some ACC institutions. We do not have any plans to add the sport to our program at this time. We believe that the number of sports that we currently have is perfect for our institution. In addition, adding lacrosse would require additional facilities and personnel that we cannot accomodate in our budget. We are determined to support our current sports so they have the ability to compete for ACC and national championships and adding more sports would inhibit our ability to do that.

Q: I was wondering since he can no longer play for Wake in basketball and since he was an outstanding player at Wake, When will Wake retire Chris Paul's Jersey #3?

Price (Atlanta, Ga.) / September 21, 2006

A: Chris Paul was an outstanding player for us and is deserving of that consideration. As we review and discuss individuals that we consider for this honor, we compare everything all of the candidates have done individually and for their team. Chris' credentials are obviously very good and we will continue to review the possibility of retiring his jersey.

Chris not only was a great player for us but he was and is a great ambassador for our university and city. This past weekend he returned to town to host the "Chris Paul Winston-Salem Weekend." It was a fantastic three days. Chris and many of his professional athlete friends participated in numerous events throughout the weekend. The weekend generated a lot of funds for his foundation, which will support Forsyth County students attending Wake Forest.

Q: Would it be possible to play the first 30 minutes of the pregame radio show inside the football stadium instead of just in the tailgate zone?

Paul Marth / September 21, 2006

A: We generally play music, announcements pertaining to the game or other activities in our athletic department or another college football game on our video board prior to the game rather than the radio show. The 30 minutes prior to the game is devoted to music most of the time because the players enjoy that atmosphere as the warm up for the game. I am not sure that most of the fans, and certainly not the players, would want the pre-game radio show to be played during that time but we will review our format again just to make sure that we are providing the environment that our fans and players want.

Q: We still don't have a scoreboard on Bridger Fieldhouse! We really need something simple at that end of the field so we don't have to keep looking back& forth.

-- Skip Queen / September 21, 2006

A: Your suggestion to place a scoreboard on Bridger Field House is something that we have considered as a part of the renovations we are making to Groves Stadium. We have not erected a scoreboard at the north end of the stadium because we are uncertain what the final configuration of the south end will be which will undoubtedly affect the future location of our scoreboard. We have discussed many scoreboard location options including placing the current scoreboard on top of Bridger Field House. However, we have not made a final decision about either end of the stadium and have, therefore, delayed placing a scoreboard at the north end. We will investigate some type of temporary or small scoreboard at the north end for next year.

Q: Apparently Justin Gray and Eric Williams were not drafted. What are they doing now?

Gregg Reynolds / September 21, 2006

A: While Justin Gray and Eric Williams were not drafted, both played this summer with NBA teams -- Justin with Toronto and Eric with New Jersey. Currently, Justin is playing professionally in Belgium and Eric is playing professionally in Italy.

Q: What is Wake Forest ranked in football and basketball since I only see the top 25 rankings?

-- Jim / September 17, 2006

A: In football, only the top 25 teams are ranked nationally. There is no complete ranking of all Division I-A teams. Of course, we are hoping to crack the top 25 at some point. In basketball, the preseason rankings have not been published, although several magazines are out.

Q: Dear Mr Wellman: I hope and pray that this message finds you doing well. I am writing to inquire about a possible "youth day" at Groves Stadium this year. I did not know if WF was planning one, if so we would be interested in bringing our group of young people. Thanks for your time and consideration in this matter.

-- Heather (Reidsville, N.C.) / September 17, 2006

A: Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, Youth Day was earlier this season. However, we do have a special day at Groves Stadium that you may be interested in - Church Day. On Nov. 4 (vs. Boston College) church groups are invited. Guest speakers Mark Lippard and Keith Davis will speak and lunch will be served. Call our ticket office at 1-800-758-DEAC.

Q: I have tried for two weeks to listen to the Tuesday press conference but have been unable to connect to the sound and picture. My computer says "ready" but when I click "play" it says "reconnecting". I wondered if there is a special player, I seem to be able to "almost" get it, but then I am unable to connect. Any suggestions? I really want to hear the press conference. Go Deacs....

-- Marianne Brom / September 17, 2006

A: Make sure that you have the most recent version of Windows Media Player. If that does not work, then contact someone at College Sports Television, which helps produce our website. Here is the URL for their customer service: http://www.cstv.com/online/contact/collegesports-contact.html

Q: Thanks you for this forum and answering the following: Why does Wake not have a training table for it players? I understand that the food in the "Pit" is sometimes not up to standard for the players needs.

-- Mike / September 13, 2006

A: Mike: As you may know, the Pit was completely renovated last year. It is a great place to eat and all students have the opportunity to eat as much as they want. The variety and quality of the food are excellent. I eat there often and have enjoyed every meal I have eaten there. In addition to the Pit, all students can eat any meal in the Magnolia Room for the same charge on their meal card. It is different menu than the Pit but still very good.

Regarding the training table, we abide by the NCAA rules which are rather strict in this area but we can and do offer training tables during the week when the team is practicing at a time that does not allow them to eat at the regular serving time. The feedback that I have heard about those meals has been very positive.

We recognize that nutrition is extremely important to our student-athletes and we do everything we can to make sure that they have the best nutritional opportunities to lead to optimal performances.

Q: Hey Mr. Wellman, I was just wondering if or when the baseball field here at Wake Forest will receive an upgrade. Wake is one of the premier baseball clubs in the ACC but their facility is really laking in comparison to the other schools such as Clemson, GT, UNC, UVA, etc. I have been a Wake Forest fan since the third grade and I am now here at Wake Forest attempting to walkon as a baseball player, and know it could use a renovation, and I had been told at one point it was in the plans. Also are lights still being avoided because of falcuty row? Thank you for your time.

-- Stephen Edwards

A: Stephen: We recognize that our baseball park, Hooks Stadium, is not the quality that it needs to be. We have delayed any major improvements on the stadium until we know the outcome of our negotiations with the city and Warthogs about buying Ernie Shore Field which is the ballpark where the Warthogs play and is located next to our football stadium. We hope to know the outcome of those negotiations in the next few months. Good luck with your try-out for the team!

Q: What is our financial exposure on paying visiting football teams to play us at home? Kudos on your continued excellence in leading our athletic programs!

-- Gray Hinebaugh

A: Gary: When we play ACC teams, there is a formula based on attendance that every ACC institution uses to contribute to a general fund held by the ACC. That fund is then distributed to all of the ACC schools at the end of the season. When we play nonconference games, we generally pay a guarantee to the visiting team. The size of the guarantee depends on a number of factors including whether we are returning a game to them. If we are returning a game to them, we typically cover the expenses for the game and they do the same for us when we travel to their site. If we are not returning a game to them, then the guarantee ranges widely depending on the location and division of the school.

Q: What do the plans to renovate Groves Stadium include?

-- Kevin (Ocala, Fla.) / September 12, 2006

A: The renovation process started two years ago when we built the brick wall on the interior of the stadium. This past year we installed the new Field Turf playing field, sealed the concrete on the west side of the stadium and upgraded the electrical system. We are on schedule to start Phase 3 of the renovation project, building Deacon Tower to replace the current press box, after this football season. Renderings and information about this phase of the project can be found on our webpage . If we are in position to start construction after this football season (that depends on the number of premium seats that are sold prior to October 2), Deacon Tower is scheduled to be completed prior to the 2008 football season.

Phases 4 - 6 of the stadium renovation will start in the years after the completion of Deacon Tower.