Post by Aggie One on Sept 16, 2004 7:34:39 GMT -5
Wake ups effort to lure fans of A&T
9-16-04
By Rob Daniels, Staff Writer
News & Record
WINSTON-SALEM -- The Wake Forest sports marketing department is ready with a hodgepodge of hip-hop and handoffs, a blend of brass and blocking.
Now if that seemingly benign weather forecast for Saturday will just hold up.
In promoting Saturday's home football game with N.C. A&T, Wake has enlisted WQMG-97.1, a classic soul and rhythm and blues station, and A&T's band, The Blue and Gold Marching Machine. The goal is to approach a sellout at 31,000-seat Groves Stadium, a development that would solidify the significance of the Deacons' first game with a Triad school since they beat Elon 34-0 on Sept. 16, 1939.
In other words, Wake is not at all shy about soliciting fans of an opponent. Unlike the NFL or major state universities, which have established, consistent and considerable fan followings, Wake Forest has a small (1,000 graduates per year) alumni base with which to pay its bills.
"With the two cities so close together, we felt this was an opportunity to bring the two communities closer together," said Ron Wellman, Wake's athletics director.
Shortly after the Demon Deacons and Aggies made a deal this past spring to meet in football, Wake marketing executive Craig Keilitz and WQMG officials started talking about taking the station's "Stone Soul Picnic" tour to the corner of Shorefair Drive and Deacon Boulevard instead of its usual location, a city park.
"They asked to do something around here," Keilitz said, "And we said, 'We'll give you your own parking lot.' It's 1,300 spots across Shorefair from Ernie Shore Field."
The station will use the space to conduct a concert from noon to shortly before the game's 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The music's free, parking is $5 and admission to the football game is $25. The plan is to entice people to Groves Stadium by getting them into the neighborhood.
The bill will feature two jazz-R&B acts and two gospel groups, each of whom will perform for 45 minutes to an hour.
"This game fell right in line with what would have been the Winston-Salem Stone Soul Picnic, so we just decided to call it a tailgate," said A.C. Stone, program director at WQMG. "We thought we'd get behind it and see how much support we could give it."
Once the game starts, the influence of music continues. The Wake band volunteered to give up its halftime show to the Aggies. "We thought this was an opportunity to let the crowd see a different style, and we're going to let (A&T) have that time," said Dr. Kevin Bowen, director of the Marching Deacon Band. Keilitz said the musicians endorsed the concept.
The Blue and Gold Marching Machine will perform an eight-minute routine. The induction of the Wake Forest Hall of Fame honorees will take up the rest of the halftime. Dr. Kenneth Ruff, A&T's director of bands, said his squad's performance will feature "old school" rhythm and blues; Britney Spears; and a dance section.
"We'll change the show up to accommodate the audience and the time (of the performance)," Ruff said.
It's something the Demon Deacon crowd has seldom -- if ever -- seen.
"They'll begin to understand why at historically black colleges and universities, nobody goes to the rest room or to the concession stands at halftime," said A&T athletics director Charlie Davis, a former basketball player and athletics administrator at Wake.
One potential hurdle to all this is Hurricane Ivan. The long-range forecast on www.weather.com calls for clouds and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms for Saturday after a thorough soaking Friday. In other words, fairly typical conditions. But as of Wednesday, A&T had sold fewer than half of its allocated 5,000 tickets.
"We have been told that the A&T crowd is a walk-up crowd," Wellman said. "And we're counting on that."
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
9-16-04
By Rob Daniels, Staff Writer
News & Record
WINSTON-SALEM -- The Wake Forest sports marketing department is ready with a hodgepodge of hip-hop and handoffs, a blend of brass and blocking.
Now if that seemingly benign weather forecast for Saturday will just hold up.
In promoting Saturday's home football game with N.C. A&T, Wake has enlisted WQMG-97.1, a classic soul and rhythm and blues station, and A&T's band, The Blue and Gold Marching Machine. The goal is to approach a sellout at 31,000-seat Groves Stadium, a development that would solidify the significance of the Deacons' first game with a Triad school since they beat Elon 34-0 on Sept. 16, 1939.
In other words, Wake is not at all shy about soliciting fans of an opponent. Unlike the NFL or major state universities, which have established, consistent and considerable fan followings, Wake Forest has a small (1,000 graduates per year) alumni base with which to pay its bills.
"With the two cities so close together, we felt this was an opportunity to bring the two communities closer together," said Ron Wellman, Wake's athletics director.
Shortly after the Demon Deacons and Aggies made a deal this past spring to meet in football, Wake marketing executive Craig Keilitz and WQMG officials started talking about taking the station's "Stone Soul Picnic" tour to the corner of Shorefair Drive and Deacon Boulevard instead of its usual location, a city park.
"They asked to do something around here," Keilitz said, "And we said, 'We'll give you your own parking lot.' It's 1,300 spots across Shorefair from Ernie Shore Field."
The station will use the space to conduct a concert from noon to shortly before the game's 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The music's free, parking is $5 and admission to the football game is $25. The plan is to entice people to Groves Stadium by getting them into the neighborhood.
The bill will feature two jazz-R&B acts and two gospel groups, each of whom will perform for 45 minutes to an hour.
"This game fell right in line with what would have been the Winston-Salem Stone Soul Picnic, so we just decided to call it a tailgate," said A.C. Stone, program director at WQMG. "We thought we'd get behind it and see how much support we could give it."
Once the game starts, the influence of music continues. The Wake band volunteered to give up its halftime show to the Aggies. "We thought this was an opportunity to let the crowd see a different style, and we're going to let (A&T) have that time," said Dr. Kevin Bowen, director of the Marching Deacon Band. Keilitz said the musicians endorsed the concept.
The Blue and Gold Marching Machine will perform an eight-minute routine. The induction of the Wake Forest Hall of Fame honorees will take up the rest of the halftime. Dr. Kenneth Ruff, A&T's director of bands, said his squad's performance will feature "old school" rhythm and blues; Britney Spears; and a dance section.
"We'll change the show up to accommodate the audience and the time (of the performance)," Ruff said.
It's something the Demon Deacon crowd has seldom -- if ever -- seen.
"They'll begin to understand why at historically black colleges and universities, nobody goes to the rest room or to the concession stands at halftime," said A&T athletics director Charlie Davis, a former basketball player and athletics administrator at Wake.
One potential hurdle to all this is Hurricane Ivan. The long-range forecast on www.weather.com calls for clouds and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms for Saturday after a thorough soaking Friday. In other words, fairly typical conditions. But as of Wednesday, A&T had sold fewer than half of its allocated 5,000 tickets.
"We have been told that the A&T crowd is a walk-up crowd," Wellman said. "And we're counting on that."
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com