Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium 475 Deacon Boulevard Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Year Opened: 1968
Capacity: 31,500
Welcome to Deactown
Along Tobacco Road, Wake Forest University joins Duke, North Carolina, and North Carolina State, vying not just for prominence within the state of North Carolina, but also in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Wake Forest has a football history that dates back to the late 19th century – initially playing as an independent program starting in 1888, and then as a member of the Southern Conference beginning in 1936 until 1952, the Demon Deacons were charter members of the ACC when it was founded in 1953.
Wake Forest has seen its fair share of highs and lows over the years. Despite being the smallest program in any of the Power 4 football conferences (the ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, and SEC), in recent years the Demon Deacs have shown the ability to hold their own in one of college football’s top conferences.
Food & Beverage 5
At first glance, the stadium concessions may seem rather standard, featuring several stands offering familiar options like hot dogs, burgers, chicken fingers, pizza, popcorn, peanuts, and candy. Given Pepsi’s popularity in the Carolinas, it is no surprise that this is primary beverage served at Allegacy Stadium, though several types of Gatorade are also available throughout. What is a bit eye-opening walking around the concourse are the collection of food trucks along the exterior fence, which really gives fans a taste of the local fare.
The food trucks at Allegacy Stadum include fried fish, gourmet hot dogs, soul food, wings, and paninis, while international foods include Greek, Nigerian, and Latin cusine, There is also a concerted focus on sweet treats, with Kona Ice, Chick-fil-A shakes, gourmet popsicles, and several flavors of kettle corn.
Allegacy Stadium also has a well-stocked selection of alcoholic beverages, headlined by the Wake Forest and Fiddlin’ Fish collaborations “Roll the Quad” IPA and R&D Brewing light beer, “Deacon Brew”. Seltzers, premixed canned cocktails, wine, and hand mixed cocktails are also widely available around the stadium.
Wake Forest does an excellent job at giving fans the basics when it comes to food and drink options, but then goes above and beyond with the numerous food trunks and extensive alcohol options.
Atmosphere 4
What would the college football experience be without tailgating? Wake Forest is no exception, with premade tailgating encampments set up and ready to go in the lots to the south and west of the stadium. The “do it yourself” tailgaters set up shop mostly along the grassy patches of the parking lot to the north, but several tailgating sites boast impressive arrays both in terms of size and the Wake Forest festive vibe. The tailgating scene here probably does not quite compare to some of the traditional southern football powers, but you can at least get a sense of this key pre-game tradition.
Allegacy Stadium shares a similar structure to Indiana University’s Memorial Stadium and Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium, with slightly recessed sections running from the 30-yard line to each end zone. Despite these structural similarities, the Deacon facility has its own unique features, including a strong use of brick, aligning with the high-class aesthetic of Wake Forest’s other athletic facilities and campus buildings.
Deacon Hill, the grassy, tree-backed hillside in the southwest corner beneath the large videoboard, provides a picnic-like grassy area. However, unlike at minor league baseball stadiums, this area is not overrun by unsupervised groups of young fans.
Between plays, interactive scoreboard features like the “Smile Cam” and logo shuffle game keep fans engaged. These features resemble those found in minor league baseball games, but do a good job filling downtime during the game. The Demon Deacon band, much like other collegiate marching bands, is also a big part of the in-game experience. The marching band’s smaller size, though, as well as the in-stadium music that plays over the stadium speakers, can tend to drown out the band during their interludes following first downs and big plays.
Overall, Wake Forest offers a solid Power 4 college football experience, albeit just on a smaller scale. While the stadium’s off-campus location does take a bit away from the excitement, it is not an dealbreaker to the overall experience.
Neighborhood 4
Although Allegacy Stadium is located off campus, it sits within a cluster of Wake Forest’s other athletic venues, including the Wake Forest Tennis Center, David F. Couch Ballpark (baseball), and Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (basketball). The Winston-Salem State Fairgrounds also neighbor the football stadium, which in part creates to bit of disconnect it from being a campus facility.
The stadium is just three miles from Winston-Salem’s city center, where downtown’s 4th Street is lined with restaurants featuring sidewalk dining and multiple hotel options. Closer to the stadium is the Innovation Quarter, a hub of research and development that has re-purposed many former R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company buildings into breweries, restaurants, shops, and green spaces.
The coming years will see a significant upgrade to the area just west of the stadium, as the section from University Parkway to the front steps of Allegacy Stadium will be developed into a mixed-use development to be called The Grounds – this will undoubtedly add to the game day atmosphere that surrounds Allegacy Stadium.
Winston-Salem definitely does not have a college town feel to it, but the Wake campus and its nearby athletic facilities do not make you feel as if you have the skyline of the city breathing down your neck, either.
Fans 3
Each side of Allegacy Stadium does appear to have patches of emptiness in terms of attendance, but when you take into account the large number of fans who sit on the grassy berm below the scoreboard, who would fill in many of these openings, on the whole I would say Deamon Deacon fans do a good job filling the venue.
With an enrollment of just under 5,500 undergraduate students, Wake Forest is the smallest school in any of the Power 4 conferences. Despite the size of the student body, however, Wake students do their part showing up and filling the student section, but staying throughout the game is another story – as the game moves into the second half, the attendance in the student section definitely takes a significant hit.
Fans are supportive of the Deacs and responsive to the ups and downs of the game, but it is disappointing, even in the midst of a tight game, to see the mass exodus of students following half time – this does take away from the overall atmosphere.
Access 3
Wake Forest University, not to be confused with Wake Forest, North Carolina, where the university was originally located, is a short drive from downtown Winston-Salem. The area is fairly well served by both local and regional transportation. The larger surrounding area has is known as The Triad, and includes Winston-Salem, High Point, and Greensboro.
Interstate access to Allegacy Stadium is as straightforward as can be, from I-85 to the south, I-73 or I-74 to the north, or I-40 from the east. Due to the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene throughout western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, those heading east from western destinations will be significantly detoured due to interstate closures for the foreseeable future, until at least mid to late next year.
When getting to and from Allegacy Stadium, as would be expected at just about any major sporting event, there will be delays involved. Your best bet is, if possible, to get there early and try to stay late. There is enough parking in the lots around Allegacy Stadium to leave just a short walk to the venue, and for those parking in the lots adjacent to the state fairgrounds, a tunnel goes under the road, so as not to impede traffic and also to protect pedestrians.
Fans can enter the facility through any of the ten gates leading into the main seating area – this high number of entries gets fans in quickly, and limits backups getting into the stadium. The McCreary Tower entrance does create a bit tighter of a walkway, but nothing that feels overly crowded, although it does take some patience to navigate. For the most part, though, the concourse is rather wide open, especially along the northeast and southeast sides of the stadium.
Return on Investment 4
It is a bit difficult to pinpoint the overall return on investment for Deamon Deacons football, as much of the ticket price depends on the specific game on the schedule/that week’s opponent. Tickets for lesser conference rivals can be had for as low as $20, while bigger name teams or events such as Parents’ Weekend can start at $40 to $55 before fees. Parking rates, however, are consistent with other schools of this size at $30. There are also a handful of independent lots in the area that go for $20, and free parking is available at 2400 Reynolda Road with a shuttle to the stadium.
Concession prices are consistent with what would be found at similar stadiums. The food truck offerings are a bit more expensive, but fans are paying for a higher quality of food there, and do receive decent-sized portions.
While there might not be a top notch value week in and week out, given the varying ticket prices based on the opponent or promotion, there definitely is the ability to not have to break the bank to go to a Wake Forest football game.
Extras 5
Prior to gates opening, the Deactown Fan Zone at McCreary Plaza has inflatables to entertain young fans, a handful of vendors giving out free promotional items, and a refreshment trailer selling various beers and seltzers, as well as a large video wall to watch early games of interest. A live band also plays to entertain fans during pregame.
Two hours and fifteen minutes before kickoff, the Deacon Walk through the plaza of McCreary Tower takes place – the start of the walk is signified by the revving of a motorcycle engine in the distance, as the band belts out the school’s fight song. Accompanied by the ruffles of cheer poms, the Deacon mascot then slowly leads the team into the stadium while passing trough the band, cheer squad, and fans.
The main entrance through McCreary Plaza recognizes the Demon Deacons’ conference championships and bowl victories, with large displays and plaques of the box scores from the games.
One of the most iconic buildings on Wake Forest’s campus is Wait Chapel – the chimes of the chapel’s bell, along with the revving of the motorcycle, are both played following big plays – this is a nice way to bring the campus feel into the stadium.
Following the game, win or lose, the team gathers in front of the band and student section to pay tribute to the University by singing the alma mater. Winning does spark quite the on-campus celebration, however, as it has become tradition to roll the trees of the quad with toilet paper.
Final Thoughts
The Wake Forest football game day experience is not one that will ever compete with the elite college football programs, but that seems to be just fine. What Wake does provide is a cozy atmosphere for college football – in a time when many football programs are focused on building the biggest and most impressive facilities, Wake has done well to focus more on providing a well refined college football experience in one of the most intimate settings in the country.
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