Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Secures International Spotlight as Demon Deacons to Kick Off 2027 Football Season in Toronto Against Syracuse
5/7/2026 10:55:00 AM | Football
Demon Deacons & Orange will battle in a ACC week zero showdown at BMO Field as Wake Forest plays its first-ever game in Canada.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest Football will open the 2027 season on an international stage in Toronto, as the Demon Deacons and Syracuse Orange will meet in the first-ever college football game played at BMO Field. The week zero game – for which Wake Forest will be the designated home team – will be played during the weekend of Saturday, Aug. 28 and Sunday, Aug. 29, 2027, and be televised on either ABC or ESPN within the United States. The game will occur in conjunction with the 2027 Canadian National Exhibition, bringing even more exposure to Wake Forest, Syracuse and the ACC.
More information – including activities surrounding the game, exclusive pre-sale opportunities and travel details for Wake Forest fans and donors – will be shared later this year.
The 2027 matchup will feature Wake Forest – the winningest college football program in North Carolina this century – against a Syracuse program the Demon Deacons have faced 13 times dating back to a 20-10 victory on Sept. 2, 2006. Additionally, this will mark the first college football game played in Toronto since South Florida and Northern Illinois met in the 2010 International Bowl.
2027 Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition, held annually adjacent to BMO Field, is Canada's largest festival with 150 years of history. Features of the CNE include performances from Grammy-winning musical artists and the Canadian International Air Show among countless experiences.
More information about the CNE can be found here.
About BMO Field
Home to the MLS' Toronto FC and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, BMO Field is one of Canada's premier venues and has hosted numerous events including the 2016 Grey Cup, 2016 MLS Cup and the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.
This summer, BMO Field will serve as one of 16 sites for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup including a June 20th group stage matchup between Germany, who will make the quick flight up from its Winston-Salem home base, and Ivory Coast. BMO will also host group stage games between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana and Panama, and Panama and Croatia as well as a Round of 32 matchup on July 2.
International Deacs
This will mark just the second-ever game played outside of the United States for the Demon Deacons, as Wake Forest faced off with Clemson in the 1982 Mirage Bowl which was contested on Nov. 28, 1982 at the Tokyo Olympic Memorial Stadium.
Wake Forest-Canada Connection
Canada has been a pipeline for talented Wake Forest football student-athletes and alums including four-year letterwinner Morgan Kane who appeared in 43 games for the Demon Deacons from 1996-99 and rushed for more than 2,500 yards with 17 touchdowns.
Additionally, Dan Dever (Ottawa) was a member of the 1967 squad and went on to win three Grey Cup championships while Mat Petz (Windsor, Ontario) spent three years at Wake Forest – including being the program leader for tackles for loss (15) during the 1998 season – before being selected by the Montreal Alouettes with the 12th-overall pick in the 2000 CFL Draft and won the 2002 Grey Cup.
Current Demon Deacon offensive linemen Uber Ajongo and Elliot Demaine are also from Ottawa.
What They Are Saying
This is the second confirmed game of the 2027 season for Wake Forest, as it was previously announced that the Demon Deacons will take on Notre Dame in next year's Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, October 9.
Wake Forest's longtime presence in the Queen City was bolstered last June with the official opening of The Pearl, a new 26-acre innovation district and home to the second campus of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine – the first and only four-year medical school in Charlotte – and the headquarters of Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit healthcare system in America.
Additionally, the 2027 Duke's Mayo Classic reflects the Atlantic Coast Conference's ongoing commitment to Charlotte, where the league relocated its headquarters in 2023. The Queen City remains a central hub for major ACC events across multiple sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 60 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN's seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
More information – including activities surrounding the game, exclusive pre-sale opportunities and travel details for Wake Forest fans and donors – will be shared later this year.
The 2027 matchup will feature Wake Forest – the winningest college football program in North Carolina this century – against a Syracuse program the Demon Deacons have faced 13 times dating back to a 20-10 victory on Sept. 2, 2006. Additionally, this will mark the first college football game played in Toronto since South Florida and Northern Illinois met in the 2010 International Bowl.
2027 Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition, held annually adjacent to BMO Field, is Canada's largest festival with 150 years of history. Features of the CNE include performances from Grammy-winning musical artists and the Canadian International Air Show among countless experiences.
More information about the CNE can be found here.
About BMO Field
Home to the MLS' Toronto FC and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, BMO Field is one of Canada's premier venues and has hosted numerous events including the 2016 Grey Cup, 2016 MLS Cup and the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.
This summer, BMO Field will serve as one of 16 sites for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup including a June 20th group stage matchup between Germany, who will make the quick flight up from its Winston-Salem home base, and Ivory Coast. BMO will also host group stage games between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana and Panama, and Panama and Croatia as well as a Round of 32 matchup on July 2.
International Deacs
This will mark just the second-ever game played outside of the United States for the Demon Deacons, as Wake Forest faced off with Clemson in the 1982 Mirage Bowl which was contested on Nov. 28, 1982 at the Tokyo Olympic Memorial Stadium.
Wake Forest-Canada Connection
Canada has been a pipeline for talented Wake Forest football student-athletes and alums including four-year letterwinner Morgan Kane who appeared in 43 games for the Demon Deacons from 1996-99 and rushed for more than 2,500 yards with 17 touchdowns.
Additionally, Dan Dever (Ottawa) was a member of the 1967 squad and went on to win three Grey Cup championships while Mat Petz (Windsor, Ontario) spent three years at Wake Forest – including being the program leader for tackles for loss (15) during the 1998 season – before being selected by the Montreal Alouettes with the 12th-overall pick in the 2000 CFL Draft and won the 2002 Grey Cup.
Current Demon Deacon offensive linemen Uber Ajongo and Elliot Demaine are also from Ottawa.
What They Are Saying
- President Susan R. Wente:
- "Wake Forest is committed to providing outstanding opportunities for our students to both learn and compete in locations around the world. This historic game will be transformative for our student-athletes, and meaningful for Wake Forest as it will introduce us and what we stand for to new audiences across the country and around the world. I am grateful to Vice President and Director of Athletics John Currie and the many partners who are making this possible."
- ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D.:
- "We are thrilled to bring ACC football to an international stage in Toronto. This conference game represents an exciting opportunity to showcase our student-athletes and our member institutions, as well as put on full display the energy of college football to a new and diverse audience. Building on our successful history of international games – from Dublin to our upcoming game in Brazil – this matchup reflects the ACC's continued commitment to giving our student-athletes a first-class experience, as well as memorable experiences for our fans and alumni, all while helping to grow the game globally."
- Vice President & Director of Athletics John Currie:
- "Building on the incredible momentum of Coach Dickert's 9-4 debut season, we are proud to have earned this unique opportunity which puts Demon Deacon football, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem and the ACC on the international stage in the heart of a world-class city. Being part of the festivities of the Canadian National Exhibition provides a true World Class Student-Athlete Experience and amplifies the exposure of our University, city and state, and adds to the fun Wake Forest fans can experience while supporting Demon Deacons. We appreciate the partnership of ESPN's Clint Overby and Kristen Shaver, MLSE VP of Business Operations Chris Shewfelt, ACC Senior Vice President Michael Strickland and retiring Syracuse athletics director John Wildhack in creating this dynamic way to kick-off 2027 on ESPN or ABC."
- Head Coach Jake Dickert:
- "This is a unique opportunity for Wake Forest Football to showcase our program to an international viewing audience to open the 2027 season. This game will give our program a chance to experience a new environment, a new crowd and a different kind of energy as the first-ever college football game played at BMO Field. Our players, staff and fans alike look forward to the chance to represent Wake Forest at the highest level and we are fired up to be facing Syracuse in Toronto."
- ESPN Director of Events and Football Operations Kristen Shaver:
- "We're grateful to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for hosting this college football game in Toronto to kick off the 2027 season and look forward to collaborating with them on future details. This relationship sets the stage for a truly historic moment—the first time two American universities will open their season in Canada. We're thrilled to bring Syracuse and Wake Forest to one of North America's premier sports cities during the excitement of the Canadian National Exhibition, creating an unforgettable backdrop and experience for traveling fans."
This is the second confirmed game of the 2027 season for Wake Forest, as it was previously announced that the Demon Deacons will take on Notre Dame in next year's Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, October 9.
Wake Forest's longtime presence in the Queen City was bolstered last June with the official opening of The Pearl, a new 26-acre innovation district and home to the second campus of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine – the first and only four-year medical school in Charlotte – and the headquarters of Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit healthcare system in America.
Additionally, the 2027 Duke's Mayo Classic reflects the Atlantic Coast Conference's ongoing commitment to Charlotte, where the league relocated its headquarters in 2023. The Queen City remains a central hub for major ACC events across multiple sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 60 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN's seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
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