Breaking Down Wake Forest Basketball 2026-27 Nonconference Schedule
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are coming off a lackluster season where they finished 18-17 overall and 13th in the ACC. They now look to respond this year with an expanded NCAA Tournament and an almost entirely new team.
Tuesday, we got a little more clarity on the road ahead for this 2026-27 squad as the entire nonconference schedule was released. The Deacs had close calls against national champion Michigan and tournament team Texas Tech a season ago but lost by just a point in both instances. Getting wins in those games could have flipped the season in a significant way.
The nonconference schedule may not be as strong as it was a season ago, but there are certainly marquee games that give Wake a chance to grab big wins and momentum going into conference play.
The non-conference slate 📅
— Wake Forest Men's Basketball (@WakeMBB) July 7, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/cuMRdcHoKz pic.twitter.com/Ky2ie2BlHN
As you can see, Wake Forest will host eight games, be on the road for two, and be on a neutral court for four. Opening night will be November 2nd against Maryland-Eastern Shore at the Joel, and the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will take place in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving. The SEC/ACC Challenge matchup against LSU will take place on December 1st in Baton Rouge. Let's go through some big-picture highlights.
Big Road Opportunities Against SEC Opponents
When you look for those marquee win opportunities on this schedule, the place you have to start is road battles versus two ascending SEC programs.
The Deacs will travel to Nashville to face Vanderbilt in the second game of their season on November 5th. Last season, Vandy handled Wake at the Joel, beating them 98-67. This year will be Wake's chance to get revenge, but it will not be easy. Vanderbilt was one of the biggest rising programs in college basketball last year. They finished 27-9 and won a game in the NCAA Tournament. Beating them on the road will certainly be a challenge, but it's not undoable for this new-look squad.
Another opportunity will be when Wake travels to LSU to take on the Tigers in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Last season in the challenge, Wake faced Oklahoma at home and lost 86-68. LSU has struggled in the SEC over the past few seasons, but has brought in Will Wade as head coach and an influx of international talent. They should be a talented team, but the Deacs get a chance to play them early in the year.
Not only are these games opportunities for big wins, but they are also chances to flip results that did not go Wake's way in last season's nonconference schedule. The fact that these are road games will surely make them Quad 1/2 opportunities, with Vandy being almost a lock at Quad 1. Winning just one of these would pay dividends later in the season, and a loss will not be fatal since it's a tough road game.
Must-Win Home Games
With most of the big games taking place on the road, the nonconference home schedule is looking a little thin. This is likely by design, though, as Wake is dealing with an entirely new roster that needs to build some momentum heading into a tough conference slate. These games should be confidence-builders, and the hope is to go 8-0 at home while avoiding those really bad losses.
Most of these home opponents finished somewhere in the 200s at KenPom a season ago. The outliers are Maryland-Eastern Shore and Gardner Webb, who finished 350th and 361st, respectively, and were in the bottom 15 of college basketball. On the other hand, Monmouth finished 181 according to KenPom.
Although these may not be the flashiest opponents, the Deacs must win these games in a decisive manner. That will help boost their KenPom/NET rating as they head into conference play. I know fans may be upset about the lack of marquee home matchups, but I think this schedule does a good job providing opportunities while also giving chances for the team to build confidence.
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.