Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, center, talks to his team during the first half of a January 2023 basketball game against Clemson in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, center, talks to his team during the first half of a January 2023 basketball game against Clemson in Winston-Salem, N.C.
East Tennessee State University men’s basketball will face Wake Forest in a one-night-only charity exhibition game on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall.
The game was announced Tuesday with a portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit Finnegan’s Challenge and the Uncommon Grit Foundation.
The matchup marks the return of former ETSU head coach Steve Forbes, who now leads the Wake Forest program
Forbes served as ETSU’s head coach from 2015–2020, leading the Bucs to a Southern Conference championship and a 30-4 season in his final year. Current ETSU coach Brooks Savage was then an assistant on Forbes’ staff and later at Wake Forest.
“It’s going to be really cool to have Coach back and honor him,†Savage said. “I know how much this program and community means to him, and what a great run we had. There aren’t a lot of high-major programs agreeing to do something like this. It’s going to raise some money and will help our program.â€
ETSU will also host “An Evening with Coach Forbes†at the Martin Center on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. The event will feature Coach Forbes and special guests from college basketball and beyond. Tickets are $30 for an individual and $50 for couples and the event will feature an open bar with beer and wine.
Tickets for the game and this event are not included in ETSU’s 2025-26 season ticket package and must be purchased separately at or by calling 423-439-3878.
“It’s exciting for the players and the fans to have a Power 4 conference opponent in our building,†Savage said. “That’s next to impossible to do nowadays. I think it will be exciting for their team too, to come into a venue they wouldn’t typically go on the road to play.â€
