Italianheat1

Wake Forest’s athletic department just welcomed a new university president and is in the middle of a $250 million mixed-use development called “The Grounds” that is reshaping the entire sports and entertainment district around campus. 🧱 Private capital is now following the athletic department’s lead. A hotel property was just acquired for redevelopment, a neighboring commercial plaza was purchased for major renovation, a $33 million freestanding emergency department is under construction nearby. The district now draws over one million fans annually across Joel Coliseum, Allegacy Stadium, Couch Ball Park, and the Wake Forest Tennis Center. Truist is a named partner for women’s athletics, the school just opened a new campus in Charlotte’s innovation district, and the AD is running a disciplined commercial operation for a school Wake Forest’s size. People talk about the big brands in college athletics…Wake Forest is a quiet case study in what it looks like when an athletic department operates like an anchor for its entire surrounding community.