Wake Forest football is absolutely throttling opponents this fall, and get this: they are officially “the talk of the college football world right now.” That’s not some throwaway line, that’s a direct quote from Bob McCreary, an 87-year-old furniture magnate and former player who’s been a chief booster for the Demon Deacons. He’s seen it all, and he’s saying what Head Coach Jake Dickert has pulled off in just two years is nothing short of “incredible.”
Banking on the Deacons’ Big Run
You want to talk about belief in a program? McCreary isn’t alone in shaping this Wake Forest future. This isn’t just about old money showing up. We’re talking about deep connections and serious conviction. Ben Sutton, a name you might know if you follow college sports, is another key player. He’s a longtime influential board member and a true veteran of the college sports industry. This guy, rocking emerald green reading glasses, founded ISP Sports, which eventually became Learfield. That’s not small potatoes, folks. Learfield is the biggest multimedia rights provider in the game, hands down. Sutton built that empire, cashing in when the industry was at a crossroads. But before all the big business, he was just a poor kid from rural Murfreesboro, North Carolina. And he credits Wake Forest for everything.
From Humble Beginnings to National Spotlight
Sutton’s own words hit different when you hear them. He told the source reporter, with a deep North Carolinian drawl, that “Wake Forest changed my life.” You get why these guys are all in. This isn’t some massive state school. We’re talking a private university with just over 5,500 undergrads, making it the smallest of any Power Four school out there. Yet, they are sitting pretty at No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and they’re second in the ACC standings. That’s legit! Their only loss this season? A competitive one against previously No. 1 Miami. You gotta squint a little to believe how far they’ve come, but the record speaks for itself. There’s an intrepid spirit around Winston-Salem, a vibe rooted in the town’s old-school industrial history, now powered by modern ambition.
So yeah, Wake Forest football isn’t just making noise; they are straight up commanding attention from the college football world. With their ranking climbing and major players like McCreary and Sutton backing them, this team isn’t just a feel-good story; they are a force proving that size doesn’t matter when you have the right leadership and the right support.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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