Wake Forest football will play in its eighth bowl game in the last 10 seasons and the Demon Deacons will compete in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for the second time in program history.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University has accepted an invitation to play SEC representative Mississippi State in the 2026 Duke's Mayo Bowl on Jan. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The game will be broadcast on ESPN with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m.
The Demon Deacons' season was spotlighted by wins over Virginia and SMU, who were both ranked in the top 25 earlier in the season.
The Wake Forest football team has made Charlotte a home away from home throughout program history. The Demon Deacons have played more games in the Queen City than any other place away from their home at Allegacy Stadium.
Four of the last 11 bowl games have come inside of Bank of America Stadium.
Wake Forest has played in the Duke's Mayo Bowl one other time, falling to Wisconsin, 42-28, in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Deacs are now 15-12 all-time in neutral site games played in Charlotte. It snapped a three-game winning streak in the Queen City that included 2017 Belk Bowl and 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl wins.
Eight of the Deacs 18 bowl games in program history have come in the last 10 years. Wake Forest holds a 11-6 all-time mark including 5-2 in the College Football Playoff era.
The Duke's Mayo Bowl will serve as Wake Forest's fourth bowl game against an SEC opponent. The Deacons are 3-1 all-time against SEC teams including a memorable 55-52 victory over Texas A&M in the 2017 Belk Bowl in Charlotte.
This also marks the second-consecutive bowl matchup against an SEC team, defeating Missouri, 27-17, in the 2022 Gasparilla Bowl.
Wake Forest's matchup with the Bulldogs marks the second meeting in program history, and the first since the 2011 Music City Bowl.
Wake Forest forced four turnovers, its second-highest total of the season, coming on interceptions by Duran Lowe, the first of his career, and Merrill Noel, along with fumble recoveries by Nikita Whitlock and Kenny Okoro to keep the Deacons within striking distance for the entire contest.
Tanner Price completed 24 of 46 passes, tying a season high for completions, for 214 yards. Pendergrass and Tommy Bohanon supplied the two Demon Deacon touchdowns, both on the ground, coming on rushes of 14 yards and one yard, respectively. Pendergrass was the Deacons' leading rusher on the day with 73 yards on 24 attempts.
Chris Givens caught a career-high nine passes for 54 yards. Noel, Justin Jackson and Scott Betros tied for the Deacon lead with seven tackles each.
Purchase Your Tickets Now Fans can click here to submit their Wake Forest bowl ticket requests, with the priority request window closing at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Order confirmations and payment notifications will be sent on Wednesday, Dec. 10, with seat assignments completed no later than the end of day on Thursday, Dec. 11. Tickets will be delivered digitally by Friday, Dec. 19.
Additionally, there is no better time to reserve your spot for the much-anticipated 2026 season as season ticket deposits for home games at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium are now available, which includes a limited number of new $99 full-season Built in the Dark ticket plans are available through the Demon Deacons' December bowl game.
Parking Passes We recommend booking convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation's leading parking reservations app.
To reserve your parking spot for the Duke's Mayo Bowl, visit the Bank of America Stadium SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up.
What They're Saying
Pregame Events & Travel Information Wake Forest is currently finalizing details on official events for the 2026 Duke's Mayo Bowl. Details on the pre-game events, including registration and pricing, will be released in the coming days.
Travel information from Winston-Salem and fan hotel opportunities is also being finalized and will be released soon. If you are interested in receiving updated information about the official events or travel options, please click on a form on our bowl central page for more information as it will be posted there as it is finalized.
Most importantly, if you are planning to join the Deacs in Charlotte, buy your tickets now!
Follow on Social Media: Follow the Deacs on social media and GoDeacs.com for the latest announcements and news.
Accounts: 2025 Season Review The Demon Deacons capped the regular season at 8-4, marking the fifth time in the last nine years — and making Wake Forest one of just four ACC programs (alongside Clemson, Louisville, and NC State) — to post eight or more wins at least five times in that span. This sustained success underscores Wake Forest's position as the winningest Power 4 program in the Carolinas this fall and tied for the most victories among all FBS teams in the region in 2025. This season's Wake Forest highlights include two CFP Top-25 wins: a road victory at No. 12 Virginia — the Cavaliers' only home loss — and a home triumph that snapped SMU's 20-game regular-season conference winning streak.
Defensively, Wake Forest was elite this season. The Deacs ranked sixth in the ACC and 38th nationally in scoring defense, are top-five in the league in total and passing defense, and did not allow a touchdown against either No. 12 Virginia or North Carolina. Additionally, 12 players garnered All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors this afternoon marking the ninth consecutive season the Demon Deacons have had six or more players make the All-ACC teams. With that, the Deacs 74 All-ACC honors is the fifth most overall in the ACC since the 2019 season.
Last Time in the Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bowl History The Deacs are 11-6 all-time in bowl games.
1946 Gator Bowl -- January 1, 1946
1949 Dixie Bowl -- January 1, 1949
1979 Tangerine Bowl -- December 22, 1979
1992 Independence Bowl -- December 31, 1992
1999 Aloha Bowl -- December 25, 1999
2002 Seattle Bowl -- December 30, 2002
2007 FedEx Orange Bowl -- January 2, 2007
2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl -- December 29, 2007
2008 Eaglebank Bowl -- December 20, 2008
2011 Music City Bowl -- December 30, 2011
2016 Military Bowl -- December 27, 2016
2017 Belk Bowl -- December 29, 2017
2018 Birmingham Bowl -- December 22, 2018
2019 Pinstripe Bowl -- December 27, 2019
2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl -- Dec. 30, 2020
2021 Gator Bowl -- Dec. 31, 2021
2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl -- Dec. 23, 2022
Charlotte - A Home Away from Home The Wake Forest football team has made Charlotte a home away from home throughout program history.
The Demon Deacons have played more games in the Queen City than any other place away from their home at Allegacy Stadium.
The only opponent Wake Forest has played more there has been South Carolina. The Deacs have played the Gamecocks 11 times in the Queen City, holding an 8-3 record in those games.
Three of the last 10 bowl games have come inside of Bank of America Stadium, claiming wins in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl over Connecticut and in the 2017 Belk Bowl over Texas A&M.
Notable Games in Charlotte Inaugural Season for the Atlantic Coast Conference – November 26, 1953
2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl -- December 29, 2007
2017 Belk Bowl -- December 29, 2017
Neutral Site Results in Charlotte Date Opponent Result Oct. 8, 1932 South Carolina W, 6-0 Nov. 4, 1933 Clemson L, 0-13 Nov. 30, 1933 Davidson L, 13-20 Oct. 18, 1935 Furman L, 0-9 Sept. 26, 1936 North Carolina L, 7-14 Nov. 25, 1937 Davidson W, 19-7 Nov. 24, 1938 Davidson W, 21-0 Nov. 30, 1939 Davidson W, 46-7 Nov. 28, 1940 South Carolina W, 7-6 Nov. 29, 1941 Texas Tech L, 6-35 Nov. 26, 1942 South Carolina W, 33-14 Nov. 25, 1943 South Carolina L, 2-13 Nov. 23, 1944 South Carolina W, 19-13 Jan. 1, 1946 South Carolina W 26-14 Nov. 28, 1946 South Carolina W, 35-0 Nov. 27, 1947 South Carolina L, 0-6 Nov. 26, 1953 No. 15 South Carolina W 19-13 Oct. 30, 1954 Clemson L, 20-32 Nov. 22, 1956 South Carolina L, 0-13 Nov. 28, 1959 South Carolina W, 43-20 Dec. 29, 2007 Connecticut W, 24-10 Dec. 29, 2017 Texas A&M W, 55-52 Dec. 30, 2020 Wisconsin L, 28-42 Dec. 4, 2021 No. 15 Pitt L, 45-21 Neutral site record in Charlotte: 13-11