North Carolina-Wake Forest history

Rivalry leaderboard

North Carolina-Wake Forest Greatest Games

The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games
25
Top score
48/100
Overtime
0

Series context

Completed meetings
106
Series record
North Carolina 71-33-2 Wake Forest
Tracked years
1888-2024
Trophy
No named trophy

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

12 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

  1. 1948Week 5

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 28, Wake Forest 6

    Winner: North Carolina

    No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 18 Wake Forest · 22-point margin

    Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 13/35 · Overtime 0/15

    44

    Game score

  2. 1944Week 5

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 7, North Carolina 0

    Winner: Wake Forest

    No. 12 Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 7-point margin

    Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15

    42

    Game score

  3. 1983Week 7

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 10, North Carolina 30

    Winner: North Carolina

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. No. 3 North Carolina · 20-point margin

    Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 15/35 · Overtime 0/15

    38

    Game score

  4. 1997Week 8

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 12, North Carolina 30

    Winner: North Carolina

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. No. 5 North Carolina · 18-point margin

    Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15

    38

    Game score

  5. 1950Week 5

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 13, North Carolina 7

    Winner: Wake Forest

    No. 17 Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 6-point margin

    Ranking 9/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15

    38

    Game score

  6. 1979Week 7

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 24, North Carolina 19

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. No. 19 North Carolina · 5-point margin

    Ranking 7/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15

    37

    Game score

  7. 1993Week 7

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 35, North Carolina 45

    Winner: North Carolina

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. No. 15 North Carolina · 10-point margin

    Ranking 11/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15

    36

    Game score

  8. 1980Week 7

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 27, Wake Forest 9

    Winner: North Carolina

    No. 8 North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 18-point margin

    Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15

    35

    Game score

  9. 1956Week 7

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 6, Wake Forest 6

    Result: Tie

    Unranked North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 0-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15

    35

    Game score

  10. 1932Week 2

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 0, Wake Forest 0

    Result: Tie

    Unranked North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 0-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15

    35

    Game score

  11. 2001Week 12

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 32, North Carolina 31

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  12. 1989Week 6

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 17, North Carolina 16

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  13. 1970Week 9

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 13, Wake Forest 14

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  14. 1960Week 6

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 13, North Carolina 12

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  15. 1945Week 11

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 14, North Carolina 13

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  16. 1927Week 2

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 9, North Carolina 8

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  17. 1924Week 2

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 6, Wake Forest 7

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  18. 1986Week 7

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 40, Wake Forest 30

    Winner: North Carolina

    No. 18 North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 10-point margin

    Ranking 8/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15

    33

    Game score

  19. 1965Week 7

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 10, Wake Forest 12

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 2-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15

    33

    Game score

  20. 1959Week 7

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 21, Wake Forest 19

    Winner: North Carolina

    Unranked North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 2-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15

    33

    Game score

  21. 1952Week 6

    Wake Forest at North Carolina

    Wake Forest 9, North Carolina 7

    Winner: Wake Forest

    Unranked Wake Forest vs. Unranked North Carolina · 2-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15

    33

    Game score

  22. 1982Week 6

    North Carolina at Wake Forest

    North Carolina 24, Wake Forest 7

    Winner: North Carolina

    No. 12 North Carolina vs. Unranked Wake Forest · 17-point margin

    Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 18/35 · Overtime 0/15

    32

    Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.