WAKE FOREST 38, AKRON 16: Gio Lopez threw for 350 yards, and the Demon Deacons enjoyed a comfortable season-opening win over the Zips. Read our recap of Wake’s 2026 debut
College football returns to North Carolina on Thursday night as Wake Forest becomes the first team from the state to take the field during a busy Labor Day weekend.
The Demon Deacons open their 2026 season against Akron at 7 p.m. at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem. The game airs on ACC Network.
Wake Forest is the only North Carolina college football team in action Thursday, but the game opens a four-day Labor Day weekend stretch involving teams from across the Old North State.
🔄 Last Updated: September 3, 2026 11:06 pm
🏈 North Carolina College Football Game Today | Thursday, Sept. 3
Akron at Wake Forest – 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Records: Akron 0-0, Wake Forest 0-0
Location: Winston-Salem
➡️ Akron-Wake Forest Game Center: Time, TV, streaming, radio, odds, weather, series info.
👀 What to Know
Year 2 of the Jake Dickert era gets underway
The Demon Deacons finished 9-4 last year, the most victories ever for a first-year Wake Forest coach. What to do for an encore? Dickert and the Deacs begin answering that question tonight against an opponent from the MAC.
New quarterback Gio Lopez leading the Deacs
Gio Lopez quarterbacked rival UNC last season before transferring to Wake Forest and winning the starting job. Lopez reunites with offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, who coached him at South Alabama, with hopes of rekindling the magic of his breakout 2024 season with the Jaguars.
Wake Forest is tough on opening nights
The Demon Deacons have won their last five and 10 of the last 11 season openers. Wake has never played Akron in football.
👉 Looking ahead: Akron-Wake Forest kicks off a packed Labor Day weekend across the state. See our complete North Carolina College Football This Week schedule for every FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III game involving an NC team.
