A Thursday night opener against Akron. A road trip to Purdue the following week. And Miami visiting for a Friday night showdown before September’s even over. The 2026 Wake Forest football schedule front-loads a demanding stretch before settling into a more even middle.
2026 Wake Forest Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 3 | Akron Zips | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | 7:00 PM | ACCN |
| Sat, Sep 12 | at Purdue Boilermakers | Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | 12:00 PM | FS1 |
| Fri, Sep 18 | Miami (FL) Hurricanes | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | 7:30 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Sep 26 | at Louisville Cardinals | L&N Stadium, Louisville, KY | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Stanford Cardinal | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 10 | at NC State Wolfpack | Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 17 | at California Golden Bears | Cal Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 24 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Virginia Cavaliers | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Merrimack Warriors (Homecoming) | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 14 | at SMU Mustangs | Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 21 | at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 28 | Duke Blue Devils | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Dec 5 | ACC Championship | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC | 12:00 PM | ABC |
A Thursday Night Opener, Then a Big Ten Road Trip
Wake Forest opens the 2026 Wake Forest football schedule on a Thursday night against Akron before an unusual early road trip to Purdue the following Saturday — a cross-conference test just two weeks into the season. Miami visits Allegacy Stadium for a Friday night showdown on September 18, one of the marquee dates of the entire year, before a road trip to Louisville closes out the opening month.
Stanford at Home, Then Consecutive Road Games
Stanford visits Winston-Salem to open October before the Wake Forest ACC schedule 2026 sends the Demon Deacons on the road for back-to-back weeks — first NC State, then a cross-country trip to California. A bye week on October 24 gives the roster a chance to recover from that stretch.
Virginia, Homecoming, Then a Road Swing
Virginia visits Allegacy Stadium on Halloween before Merrimack comes to town for Homecoming on November 7. From there, Wake Forest hits the road again for SMU and Georgia Tech in consecutive weeks — a demanding late-season travel stretch before the year wraps up at home.
Closing at Home Against Duke
The regular season closes at Allegacy Stadium against Duke on November 28. If Wake Forest is still playing December 5, it’s in Charlotte for the ACC Championship.
The Bottom Line
Between Miami in September and the SMU-to-Georgia Tech road stretch in November, Wake Forest’s toughest tests bookend a manageable middle. The Wake Forest football home games in 2026 give the Demon Deacons a fair shot to build a record, but how they handle two separate multi-game road trips will decide how the season is remembered.
FAQ
Q: When does Wake Forest football play its first game in 2026?
A: Wake Forest opens the 2026 Wake Forest football schedule at home against Akron on Thursday, September 3, at Allegacy Stadium.
Q: When is Wake Forest vs Miami 2026?
A: Wake Forest vs Miami 2026 is set for Friday, September 18, at home at Allegacy Stadium, kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Q: How many home games does Wake Forest play in 2026?
A: Wake Forest has seven Wake Forest football home games in 2026 at Allegacy Stadium: Akron, Miami, Stanford, Virginia, Merrimack, and Duke.
Q: What is Wake Forest’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
A: The back-to-back road trip to NC State and California — October 10 and October 17 — is the toughest travel stretch on the Wake Forest ACC schedule 2026, alongside the September road trip to Louisville right after the Miami game.
