Wake Forest

Wake Forest is home of the Demon Deacons, located in Winston Salem, NC. Original nicknames consisted of "Old Gold and Black" and even "Baptists." Neither of these was felt to capture the true spirit of the Wake Forest athletics. Sports editor Mayon Parker of Ahoskie, after the Deacons pulled off a very satisfying win over rival Duke, searched for a new phrase to describe the "devilish" spirit that marked the athletics teams of Wake Forest. He felt the new nickname, Demon Deacons captured that spirit.

The Demon Deacons of Wake Forest are consistently among the leaders both academically and athletically, competing in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. The Deacons have won three national championships in field hockey and men's soccer in recent years. They have also achieved a No. 1 ranking in men's basketball and played in three football bowl games that included the Orange Bowl.

Wake Forest students enthusiasm for their team's victories can be measured by the toilet paper in the trees! Alumni, fans, and students have made a tradition of celebrating game wins by "rolling the quad," covering the center of campus with streamers of white tissue. This tradition began with the 172 year old university's move from the town of Wake Forest, NC to Winston-Salem, NC.