Wake Forest’s next date is set, and it comes with a little October spice.
The ACC announced its Week 9 kickoff times, and the Demon Deacons will host Virginia on Saturday, October 31. The game at Allegacy Financial Stadium is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET and will be shown on either ESPN or ESPN2.
It will be the 54th meeting between the programs, and Virginia still holds the edge in the series, 35-18. But Wake Forest won the latest matchup, taking down the No. 19 Cavaliers in Charlottesville in 2025, 16-9, on the strength of a punt return touchdown from Carlos Hernandez.
Virginia will have a chance to build some momentum before arriving in Winston-Salem. The Cavaliers are at home against Duke next, looking to shake off a stretch that has cooled off a season that began with real promise.
They opened with a 34-8 win over NC State and followed that with a rout of Norfolk State. Then came a loss to West Virginia, a 38-7 defeat at Florida State, and another setback this past week against No.
23 SMU.
That puts Virginia in the middle of the ACC pack, sitting at No. 6 in the most recent weekly ACC Power Rankings assembled by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI editorial staff. Wake Forest is ranked No. 2 in those rankings, setting up what should be a competitive matchup.
Wake Forest, meanwhile, is on a bye this week and gets a chance to rest before the Halloween showdown. The break should give the Deacons time to recover and reset before what’s shaping up as a much-anticipated rematch with the Cavaliers.
Virginia’s remaining schedule before then is listed as follows:
Sept. 3 vs. Akron (W, 38-16)Sept. 12 at Purdue (W, 38-36, 2OT)Sept. 18 vs.
No. 5 Miami (L, 33-20)Sept. 26 at No.
16 Louisville (W, 30-27)Oct. 3 vs. Stanford (W, 57-3)Oct. 10 at NC State, (W, 38-14)Oct. 17 at Cal, (W, 41-7)Oct. 31 vs.
Virginia, 3:45 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN2Nov. 7 vs.
Merrimack, 12 p.m. ET, network TBANov. 14 at No.
22 SMU, TBANov. 21 at Georgia Tech, TBANov. 28 vs. Duke, TBA
In Other News...
Wake Forests 6-1 Start Suddenly Feels More Real For One Reason
Wake Forests 41-7 win did more than pad the record, it gave a deeper statistical jolt to a start that already had people around the program taking notice. Pro Football Focus handed out strong grades across the board, a sign that the Demon Deacons are not just winning games, but stacking evidence that the performance level is rising with the results. Quarterback Gio Lopez drew especially high marks, while tight end Dominick Barry, linebacker Vincent Firenze and offensive lineman Clinton Richard all stood out in the grading process for the kind of contributions that usually say more than a scoreboard ever can.
The encouraging part for Wake Forest is how broad the praise was. It was not just one hot hand or one isolated breakout showing up in the numbers, but a collection of players getting recognized for doing their jobs at a high level, from pass protection to defensive impact to production in the passing game. The next question is whether that individual recognition becomes a regular part of the weekly conversation, because if it does, this 6-1 start may look even more sustainable than it already does. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forests Basketball Pipeline Is Turning Heads Right Now
Wake Forests basketball reach is showing up well beyond the college game as the 2026-27 NBA season gets going. Two former Demon Deacons are on league rosters, and the program also has five alumni active in the NBA G League, a sign that the pipeline from Winston-Salem to the pro ranks is still producing usable depth and steady talent.
The presence of more than 20 former Wake Forest players in international professional leagues adds another layer to that footprint, giving the Deacons a broad and very visible pro network. Back home, the mens team is preparing to open its 2026-27 season on Nov. 2, and the continued success of its alumni offers a timely reminder of what the program is sending into basketball every year. [Read more 🡒]