Charlotte Set for 2027 Wake Forest–Notre Dame Showdown

This will be Wake Forest's first trip to Charlotte since their 2021 appearance in the ACC Championship, where they lost to Pittsburgh 21–45. The two storied schools will come face-to-face for the first time since 2023 on October 9, 2027.

Sep 22, 2018; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Chris Finke (10) runs after a catch in the second quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

It is no secret that Wake Forest football is undergoing a rebrand. In fact, it was almost expected after their 11-season head coach announced a somewhat abrupt resignation last December. While the transformation is swiftly underway, Jake Dickert and the Demon Deacons have a potential concrete deadline to right the ship and cement their place in the evolving landscape of the ACC.

The pressure to succeed not only comes from Wake Forest's standard of excellence in all facets of its identity, but from a fanbase that hasn't tasted the sweetness of forward progress since the 2022 Gasparilla Bowl victory. The previous two seasons saw Wake stuck in a rut, with 4–8 records both years.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, is fresh off of their first National Championship appearance since 2012 and remains one of the sport's most prominent brands. With the game-wreckers from South Bend now on the setlist, the next two seasons may be tributaries to a possible coming-out party in 2027.

Wake Forest–Notre Dame Matchup History

The matchup series began in 2011, when the Demon Deacons hosted the Fighting Irish and fell 17–24. Since then, no meeting between the two academic giants has been closer, nor would Wake Forest find any luck against the Irish, sitting at 0–6 all-time with their largest defeat coming by 38 points.

Of those six matchups, Winston-Salem has played host twice, while South Bend has seen the other four. This time, with a neutral site, the stage broadens to a national audience. Still, it's a near certainty that Demon Deacon and Fighting Irish faithful will travel in herds.

Though two full seasons separate Wake Forest and Notre Dame from their 2027 clash, the clock is ticking toward what could become both a sweet showdown and a statement-making opportunity for the rebranded Demon Deacons—one that could define the program's new era.

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