The NC State football game against Ball State on Saturday, Sept. 21 has been announced as the ACC’s first #SetTheExpectation game. The movement’s founder, Brenda Tracy, has organized five days of events surrounding the game centered around raising awareness for campaigns against sexual and physical violence.
#SetTheExpectation is a nationwide campaign against interpersonal violence. Its main goal is to educate and engage student-athletes and coaches at the high school or collegiate level.
“I’m excited and proud of our guys for wanting to be part of a solution to such a big thing nationally,” said NC State head football coach Dave Doeren in an official university statement. “This is a way for them to use their platform to help something bigger than themselves. I appreciate her allowing us to do that.”
On Thursday afternoon in Talley Student Union, Tracy and Doeren shared the mission of combating sexual and physical violence.
On Friday, Tracy also visited and spoke to various campus community centers, meeting with groups from the NC State Women’s Center, the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and the Counseling Center.
At the game, players will wear #STE shirts during the Walk of Champions and will have #SetTheExpectations helmet stickers on during the game. Tracy will also be presenting the game ball at the coin toss.
On Sunday, Sept.22, Tracy will be sharing her story with first-year and transfer student-athletes as well as student leaders. She will then follow that up on Monday by speaking with all female student-athletes and student leaders about her experience.
Earlier this year, Tracy spoke with student-athletes about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault. A number of student-athletes, inspired by her story, organized a donation drive at an NC State baseball game in May which raised funds for a local women’s shelter.
These students, especially football’s James Smith-Williams and men’s soccer’s Vincent Durand, were the ones who also pushed for the Ball State game to be the #SetTheExpectation game.
“Most of the activity here has been driven by James and Vinnie and other male athletes,” Tracy said. “That level of engagement has been unique to NC State. I’ve been impressed with how well they have responded to the event we had in the spring.”
Smith-Williams discussed the impact the movement has had on his perspective on interpersonal violence.
“What was a little different for me from hearing Brenda speak is the bystander effect,” Smith-Williams said. “If you see something, say something and do something. Don’t just let things that are wrong happen around you.”
The NC State men’s soccer team will also host a #SetTheExpectation game on Friday, Oct. 4 against Notre Dame.
