# North Carolina–Wake Forest rivalry

The North Carolina–Wake Forest rivalry is a series of athletic contests between the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons. The first football game between the two institutions was played in 1888. As a consequence of ACC expansion in the 21st century, the two schools do not play each other annually in football, as they were placed in separate divisions and assigned different opponents for their "protected" (i.e., annual) cross-division games. North Carolina got rival NC State as their cross-divisional opponent, while Wake Forest got Duke, which allowed the Duke-Wake Forest rivalry to continue.

## Football
### History

The University of North Carolina and Wake Forest University have a long shared athletic history, having formerly been located in close proximity to one another, as Wake Forest was originally located in Wake Forest, North Carolina. In 1956, the university moved its campus across the state of North Carolina to its current location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The football rivalry, first meeting in 1888, is the oldest intercollegiate football rivalry in the American state of North Carolina As of 2021, there have been 109 games between the two teams. The 2019 and 2021 games were non-conference games and thus were not counted in the ACC standings. This unusual occurrence of a non-conference regular season game between teams in the same conference has only occurred once before in the recent history of the major FBS conferences.

### Results

| North Carolina victories | Wake Forest victories | Ties | Forfeits |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | October 18, 1888 | Raleigh | Wake Forest | 6–4 |
| 2 | May 1, 1889 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 33–0 |
| 3 | November 22, 1889 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 18–8 |
| 4 | November 10, 1899 | Raleigh | Wake Forest | 1$^†$–0 |
| 5 | November 18, 1893 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 40–0 |
| 6 | September 17, 1908 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 17–0 |
| 7 | October 2, 1909 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 18–0 |
| 8 | October 22, 1910 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 37–0 |
| 9 | October 7, 1911 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 12–3 |
| 10 | October 12, 1912 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 9–2 |
| 11 | September 27, 1913 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 7–0 |
| 12 | November 15, 1913 | Durham | North Carolina | 29–0 |
| 13 | October 8, 1914 | Durham | North Carolina | 53–0 |
| 14 | November 14, 1914 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 12–7 |
| 15 | October 9, 1915 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 35–0 |
| 16 | September 30, 1916 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 20–0 |
| 17 | October 18, 1919 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 6–0 |
| 18 | October 2, 1920 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 6–0 |
| 19 | October 1, 1921 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 21–0 |
| 20 | September 30, 1922 | Goldsboro | North Carolina | 62–0 |
| 21 | September 29, 1923 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 22–0 |
| 22 | September 27, 1924 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 7–6 |
| 23 | September 26, 1925 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 6–0 |
| 24 | September 25, 1926 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 13–0 |
| 25 | September 24, 1927 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 9–8 |
| 26 | September 29, 1928 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 65–0 |
| 27 | September 28, 1929 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 48–0 |
| 28 | September 27, 1930 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 13–7 |
| 29 | September 26, 1931 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 37–0 |
| 30 | September 24, 1932 | Chapel Hill | Tie | 0–0 |
| 31 | November 11, 1933 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 26–0 |
| 32 | September 29, 1934 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 21–0 |
| 33 | September 28, 1935 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 14–0 |
| 34 | September 26, 1936 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 14–7 |
| 35 | October 16, 1937 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | 28–0 |
| 36 | September 24, 1938 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 14–6 |
| 37 | September 30, 1939 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 36–6 |
| 38 | September 28, 1940 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 12–0 |
| 39 | October 25, 1941 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 13–0 |
| 40 | September 26, 1942 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 6–0 |
| 41 | September 23, 1944 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 7–0 |
| 42 | November 17, 1945 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 14–13 |
| 43 | November 16, 1946 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 26–14 |
| 44 | October 11, 1947 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 19–7 |
| 45 | October 9, 1948 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | 28–6 |
| 46 | October 15, 1949 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 28–14 |
| 47 | October 14, 1950 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 13–7 |
| 48 | October 27, 1951 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 39–7 |
| 49 | October 18, 1952 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 9–7 |
| 50 | October 10, 1953 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | 18–13 |
| 51 | October 23, 1954 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 14–7 |
| 52 | October 22, 1955 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 25–0 |
| 53 | October 27, 1956 | Chapel Hill | Tie | 6–6 |
| 54 | October 26, 1957 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 14–7 |
| 55 | October 25, 1958 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 26–7 |
| 56 | October 24, 1959 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 21–19 |
| 57 | October 15, 1960 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 13–12 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 58 | November 25, 1961 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 17–14 |
| 59 | October 27, 1962 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 23–14 |
| 60 | October 5, 1963 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 21–0 |
| 61 | October 3, 1964 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 23–0 |
| 62 | October 23, 1965 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 12–10 |
| 63 | October 22, 1966 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 3–0 |
| 64 | October 28, 1967 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 20–10 |
| 65 | October 26, 1968 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 48–31 |
| 66 | October 25, 1969 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 23–3 |
| 67 | October 24, 1970 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 14–13 |
| 68 | October 23, 1971 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 7–3 |
| 69 | October 21, 1972 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 21–0 |
| 70 | November 17, 1973 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 42–0 |
| 71 | September 21, 1974 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 31–0 |
| 72 | November 1, 1975 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 21–9 |
| 73 | October 30, 1976 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 34–14 |
| 74 | October 8, 1977 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 24–3 |
| 75 | October 14, 1978 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 34–29 |
| 76 | October 13, 1979 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 24–19 |
| 77 | October 11, 1980 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 27–9 |
| 78 | October 10, 1981 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 48–10 |
| 79 | October 9, 1982 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 24–7 |
| 80 | October 8, 1983 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 30–10 |
| 81 | October 13, 1984 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 14–3 |
| 82 | October 12, 1985 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 34–14 |
| 83 | October 11, 1986 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 40–30 |
| 84 | October 10, 1987 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 22–14 |
| 85 | October 8, 1988 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 42–24 |
| 86 | October 7, 1989 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 17–16 |
| 87 | October 6, 1990 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 31–24 |
| 88 | October 12, 1991 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 24–10 |
| 89 | September 5, 1992 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 35–17 |
| 90 | October 9, 1993 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 45–35 |
| 91 | November 12, 1994 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 50–0 |
| 92 | October 21, 1995 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 31–7 |
| 93 | October 5, 1996 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 45–6 |
| 94 | October 11, 1997 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 30–12 |
| 95 | October 24, 1998 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 38–31 |
| 96 | November 6, 1999 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 19–3 |
| 97 | September 9, 2000 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 35–14 |
| 98 | November 10, 2001 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 32–31 |
| 99 | October 26, 2002 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 31–0 |
| 100 | November 8, 2003 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 42–34 |
| 101 | November 13, 2004 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 31–24 |
| 102 | October 28, 2006 | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest | 24–17 |
| 103 | October 27, 2007 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 37–10 |
| 104 | October 29, 2011 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 49–24 |
| 105 | September 8, 2012 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 28–27 |
| 106 | October 17, 2015 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 50–14 |
| 107 | September 13, 2019 | Winston-Salem | Wake Forest | 24–18 |
| 108 | November 14, 2020 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 59–53 |
| 109 | November 6, 2021 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 58–55 |
| 110 | November 12, 2022 | Winston-Salem | #15 North Carolina | 36–34 |
| 111 | November 16, 2024 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 31–24 |
| Series: North Carolina leads 73–36–2 |||||
| † North Carolina had to forfeit. |||||

### 2001

The Tar Heels built a 24–0 first-half lead behind a phenomenal performance by freshman quarterback Darian Durant, who threw for a freshman school record 361 yards. Carolina looked in control taking a 31–14 lead into the fourth quarter after Durant threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game. Then things began to unravel for the Tar Heels. After the Deacons cut the lead to 7, the Tar Heels snapped the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety, cutting the lead to 31–26 with 4:49 left in the game. Wake Forest put together a 59-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback James MacPherson with just over a minute remaining. The Tar Heels’ final chance fell short as Wake safety Quinton Williams forced a Darian Durant fumble with 45 seconds remaining, and the Deacons won 32–31. The 24-point comeback was one of the largest in ACC history.

### 2021

Wake Forest entered the game 8–0 for the first time in program history and ranked #9 in the College Football Playoff rankings and #10 in the AP Poll, both rankings being the highest in program history. The game featured an explosion of offense as the teams combined for 1,161 total yards. With 7:38 remaining in the third quarter, Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman connected with receiver A.T. Perry on a 66 yard touchdown pass, which gave the Demon Deacons a 45–27 lead. Over the next 21 minutes of the game, North Carolina went on a 31–3 run which included three rushing touchdowns by running back Ty Chandler, who finished the game with career highs of 213 yards and four touchdowns. After Carolina cut the lead to seven with 10:40 left in the game, Tar Heel safety Cam'Ron Kelly intercepted Hartman for the second time of the game. The Tar Heels quickly scored, tying the game at 48–48. The Tar Heel defense forced two consecutive turnovers on downs as Carolina erased a 14-point fourth quarter deficit, ultimately winning the game 58–55. With the win, the Tar Heels notched their first home win against a top-ten opponent since defeating #3 Miami in 2004.