The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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tracking the PACK Curtis Dail Made A Major Impact On Wolfpack Athletics Cates Avenue and Morrill Drive.With 900 permaCurtis Dail's generosity to Wolfpack nent seats and capacity for 1,800 spectators, the athletics made his name as ubiquitous stadium draws big walk-up crowds from students, on NC State's campus and sports fafaculty and staff and is the home of the ACC's cilities as "Peachtree" is on the streets reigning champions. First-year head coach Shawn of Atlanta. Rychcik led the Wolfpack to a 35-20 record and a Dail, a longtime benefactor to chariberth in the NCAA Knoxville Regional. ties all over Eastern North Carolina, Dail Basketball Center: With a statedied on May 28 at his home in Garner, of-the-art basketball practice court, spacious N.C. He was 85. coaches' offices, NBA-styled locker rooms, a Though neither he nor his wife, Jacplayers' lounge, meeting rooms and a lobby and hallway that serve as a tribute to the history of queline, ever attended NC State, Dail NC State's basketball program, the Dail Center is developed an affinity for the school in one of the best operations center of any college the 1950s and '60s while he attended basketball program in the country. Located next legendary head coach Everett Case's to the Weisiger-Brown Building just off Western basketball officiating clinics at Fort Boulevard, the practice center is near the heart Bragg, part of his instruction as an of Wolfpack athletics. amateur basketball referee. The forDail Plaza: Located between Carter-Finley mer state trooper and Fayetteville city Stadium and PNC Arena, this well-appointed policeman officially adopted the Wolfspace around the parking lots and streets serves pack when he moved near Raleigh to as an entryway to both facilities and as a gathering spot for fans, alumni and spectators while become an insurance claims adjuster. they attend football and basketball games. As he became a successful businessThe Dail Club at Vaughn Towers: Located man, Dail began to share his wealth Neither Dail nor his wife, Jacqueline, attented NC State, but on the first floor of the luxury four-level tower with his favorite college program. they developed an affinity for the school and ended up donat- at Carter-Finley Stadium, the 12,000-square-foot In 2002, the Dails gave $5.2 million ing nearly $10 million to Wolfpack athletics. area is an elegant pregame gathering place for to the Wolfpack Club, at the time one photo by tim peeler the 1,000 club-level ticket holders at Wolfpack of the biggest gifts in the history of the faithful supporters than Curtis and Jackie football games. organization. The contribution, which was The Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Football PracDail," NC State director of athletics Debabove and beyond the endowed scholartice Complex: Located adjacent to Carter-Finley Stabie Yow said. "As a couple, they have been ships the Dails had already given, went dium and PNC Arena, near Blue Ridge Road, the daily our most ardent fans of all NC State sports a long way in funding some long-needed practice home of the Wolfpack football team is a short teams." walk away from the Murphy Center's locker rooms and projects around campus, providing imHere's a look at the various facilities and training facilities. The complex includes three full-sized provements for high-profile sports such as areas that bear the Dails' name. fields, two with natural grass and one with field turf. football, men's basketball and Curtis Dail's The seven-acre site also has a training room, restrooms Doak Field at Dail Park: The home of NC State favorite baseball, and also for Olympic and a tower where the coaching staff and video staff baseball was named for longtime coach Charles "Chick" sports such as tennis, softball and soccer. can watch all aspects of practice. Doak even before it moved to its current on-campus In all, the Dails gave nearly $10 million The Dail Soccer Stadium: The NC State men's location, just off Sullivan Drive behind Lee Dormitory. to NC State, earning them the rare designaand women's soccer programs moved from the Method Located at its present site since 1966, Doak Field was tion of honorary alumni by the NC State Road Soccer Stadium to their new home in the heart in desperate need of an overhaul when the Dails agreed Alumni Association. of campus in 2008. Located inside the rails of Paul Derr to their gift. Following the 2002 season, work began on In recent years, the construction, imTrack, the soccer field now has lights, a new electronic a $6 million renovation, which included the removal of scoreboard, permanent chairback seating, additional the existing grandstand and press box and the installaprovements and enhancements that came bleachers, a press box and an operations center that tion of a new drainage system and playing surface. The from the Dails' gifts have helped various includes meeting space and locker rooms for the WolfWolfpack baseball team spent the 2003 season playing programs become more competitive in repack and its opponents. The men's soccer team hosted on the road while the park was renovated and played cruiting and on the field. an NCAA second-round game at the new field in 2009, much of the 2004 season surrounded by construction. It's hard to go more than a first down and both men's head coach Kelly Findley and women's With 2,200 permanent chairback seats, a 1,200-squareor so without seeing the Dail name on an head coach Tim Santoro now have premier facilities foot press box, which includes a radio and television NC State athletic facility. The Dails did not where they can build their programs. broadcast booth, and a baseball fieldhouse with locker have children, so they delighted in giving The Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Outdoor Tenrooms, coaches' offices and new dugouts, the renovated away much of the money he earned in his nis Stadium: Built from design concepts created by a stadium is completely unlike its predecessor. Since conbusiness ventures, which included a string former tennis player and current men's head coach Jon struction began, the Wolfpack has been to three NCAA Choboy, the $3 million outdoor tennis stadium opened super regionals and has hosted regionals in 2008, '12 of Hardee's restaurants, commercial real in the spring of 2012 as the final project to bear the and '13. This year, en route to its first College World estate and several other franchises. Dails' name. As part of the J.W. Isenhour Tennis ComSeries appearance since 1968 and a school-record "We enjoy doing what we can to help," plex, the bowl-shaped stadium has six lighted courts, an 50 wins, the Wolfpack went 5-0 in regional and super Dail said. electronic scoreboard that provides live updates from regional games at the stadium. The Pack has a 12-1 allThe Dails also gave generously to other all courts, balcony seating for some 1,000 spectators time record in postseason games played at the facility. charities in the community, including First and a grand entryway from Varsity Drive adjacent to The Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Softball StaPresbyterian Church of Garner and the Doak Field at Dail Park. In both of its seasons playing dium: From 2004-07, NC State's newest varsity sport, Wake County Society For the Prevention at the new outdoor facility, the Wolfpack men's team women's softball, was played at Pullen Park and the of Cruelty to Animals, which named its pet has qualified for the NCAA Championships, while the Walnut Creek Softball Complex. In 2008, the Wolfpack adoption center in Dail's honor. women's squad followed suit in 2013. got a new home, located adjacent to the Paul Derr — Tim Peeler Track, just south of Reynolds Coliseum, at the corner of "No athletic program ever had more July 2013 ■ 23 14-16,18,20,22-23.Tracking The Pack.indd 23 7/2/13 12:14 PM