Game Day Information
Welcome Centers
Come by one of the Wake Forest welcome centers to see who else is in town. Sponsored by the Alumni Association.
Miami
Hyatt Regency Miami
400 South East Second Avenue
Phone: (305) 358-1234
Hollywood
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa
3555 South Ocean Drive
Phone: (954) 602-6000
Hours:
December 31, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.
January 1: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
January 2: 9 a.m. – Noon
Connect with Wake Foresters!
Let other Wake Foresters know about your plans for Miami. Information will be available online and at the welcome centers to help you locate and reconnect with friends!
Events Schedule
Sunday, December 31
New Year’s Eve Alumni Parties
Fort Lauderdale
Embassy Suites, Main Ballroom
Stephen Riddick (’04) has organized a New Year’s Eve bash open to all Wake Forest fans in town for the Orange Bowl. Your $150 ticket includes a full open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and live music from an ’80s band! Black tie (and plenty of Gold) optional. Tickets for this event are no longer available.
Hollywood
Cafe Iguana Pines
Beginning at 8 p.m.
Henry Long (’79), owner of Cafe Iguana Pines, is inviting all Wake Foresters to ring in the New Year at his entertainment megaplex, which features eight bars, an exclusive VIP Martini Bar, a chic Latin bistro and a state-of-the-art media room. Special section and giveaways for Wake Forest fans. $20 per person. Register with Kelly Meachum (’00) at meachuke@wfu.edu or 336-758-5954. We also recommend that you buy your ticket in advance at www.cafeiguanapines.com. Cafe Iguana Pines can only admit those 21 and older.
Monday, January 1
Tee Off With Wake Forest
Fort Lauderdale
Enjoy a little green at the Orange Bowl at this Wake Forest vs. Louisville Golf Outing at Bonaventure Country Club. Fans from both schools will be teamed up for some friendly competition. Register with Kelly Meachum (’00) at meachuke@wfu.edu by December 28 to secure your place! The $100 per person fee includes green fees, cart, drinks and lunch, and is payable on site. Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
Registration: 8 a.m., Shotgun Scramble 8:30 a.m.
2007 AvMed Coaches Luncheon
Radisson in Downtown Miami
11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The 2007 AvMed Coaches Luncheon will feature Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe and Louisville’s Bobby Petrino. The event will also honor the 2007 Hall of Honor inductees: Dennis Erickson (Miami, Fla.), Marvin Jones (FSU) and Turner Gill (Nebraska), as well as the 2007 FWAA-FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award winner, Ray Ray McElrathbey.
WaMu Orange Bowl Fan Fest
Downtown Miami
1 – 8 p.m.
This is the place to mingle with other Wake Foresters! The WaMu Orange Bowl Fan Fest, presented by the City of Miami, is held at Margaret Pace Park on Biscayne Bay in the center of revitalized downtown Miami. Some of today’s most talented artists, including Hinder and Lil Wayne, will perform. Fan Fest also includes music from local talent, pep rallies, food from local vendors and interactive games.
Purchase FanFest tickets (also available at Ticketmaster)
Deacon Greet
Go where the Deacons go! The official Wake Forest gathering locations for Monday night are listed below. Reservations are not required. You are responsible for your food and drinks. Pick a location or visit them all.
Miami
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay
7 – 10 p.m.
Venetia Lounge, located in the lobby level overlooking Biscayne Bay
Blu Moon Restaurant & Lounge
Located on the 2nd floor of the Doubletree Grand Hotel, overlooking Biscayne Bay
Fort Lauderdale
Bahia Mar Hotel Restaurant and Bar
7 – 10 p.m.
801 Seabreeze Boulevard,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1-888-80-BAHIA
Orange Bowl Blow Out
Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Tarpon Bend
Beginning at 7 p.m., Hosted by Pi Kappa Alpha
All alumni are invited to join the fun at Tarpon Bend. The Fez, the legendary Wake Forest party band, will take the stage at 9:30. Tarpon Bend anchors Fort Lauderdale’s downtown Himmarshee district, home to more than 30 bars and restaurants including Rush Street, Capone’s, China White, Coyote Ugly, Automatic Slim’s, Art Bar, Himmarshee Grill and Side Bar, Dicey O’Reilly’s, E Bar, Tavern 213 and the Po House blues club.
Tuesday, January 2
Budweiser Orange Bowl Tailgate Party
Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens
The place for Wake Foresters to tailgate! For those who have purchased a WF Athletics Package, food and drinks will be provided in a designated area within the Budweiser Tailgate. Otherwise, food and drinks will be available from vendors. The Tailgate Party will feature some of today’s top musical talent, interactive games, sports memorabilia, memory lane, contests, food and much more. Cheer for the Deacons at the Wake Forest Pep Rally from 5 – 5:20 p.m.
Purchase tailgate tickets (also at Ticketmaster)
73rd FedEx Orange Bowl
Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens
Wake Forest vs. Louisville
8 p.m.
Go Deacs!
For those who will be there in spirit, the game will be televised on FOX starting at 8 p.m. ET.
- Team previews
- Directions and parking
- Halftime show
- History
- Fan Fest
- Tailgate party
Wake Forest Magazine
Pilgrim’s Progress: The move that made a University. A special feature from the September, 2006 edition.
The most emotional part of the night is definitely when the team walks over to the Wake Forest end of the field for the alma mater and everyone cheers wildly. The band plays on and there’s more cheering. It’s hard to feel too sad when it’s been such an incredible season. Thanks for the memories guys. It’s great to be a Demon Deacon.
Another honor for Grobe
Jim Grobe has been named the 2006 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, joining a legendary class that includes Bobby Bowden, Fisher DeBerry, Vince Dooley, Tom Osborne, Joe Paterno, Eddie Robinson, and Bo Schembechler. The Associated Press, Sporting News and CBS Sportsline.com also selected Grobe as coach of the year in 2006 and Grobe was the unanimous choice as the ACC’s Coach of the Year.
Orange Bowl coverage from the …
Winston-Salem Journal
Miami Herald
Sun-Sentinel
Palm Beach Post
Hatch column in Miami Herald
“In this nation where dreams can still be realized, there is no greater beacon of opportunity than America’s colleges and universities,” writes President Nathan O. Hatch in a column that appears in Wednesday’s Miami Herald. “Young people begin in one place and, through diligent work, advance themselves intellectually and economically.”
Deacon fans ready to bowl
When more than 17,000 Wake Forest fans pour into Dolphin Stadium for the biggest football game in school history on Jan. 2, it will be the largest gathering ever of alumni outside Groves Stadium. The Orange Bowl is a dream come true for many long-suffering Deacon football fans, from Winston-Salem to California.
Deacon Tower renovation plans
About the time that Wake Forest will be playing in the biggest football game in school history, work will be getting underway on the largest renovation project in Groves Stadium history.
The Time is Now!
“Just so you know…some of us were ready to haul it to Boise, Idaho, if that was the destination; but we thank you for keeping us in this time zone.” Read messages to the Orange Bowl-bound team and send your own!
Celebrating Wake Forest wins: Rolling the Quad
Enthusiasm for athletic victories can be measured by the toilet paper in the trees. Students, alumni and other fans celebrate wins by “rolling the Quad.”
Photo Gallery »
Time Lapse Video »
Full story
Not going to Miami?
The following Alumni Clubs will have “game-watching parties” for the Orange Bowl. Contact your local club president for details.