Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Athletics 2025-26 Year In Review
8/11/2026 1:53:00 PM | General
Multiple championships and countless memories highlighted a successful 2025-26 season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The 2025-26 academic year brought about many memorable moments for Wake Forest Athletics, highlighted by men's tennis claiming Wake Forest's 60th ACC Championship, football capping off a nine-win season with a Duke's Mayo Bowl victory and women's golf advancing to the NCAA National Championship following an NCAA Regional victory.
Click here for the complete 2025-26 Year in Review!
Highlights
Coming off of winning the NCAA Championship last season, the Wake Forest men's tennis team continued its dominant run in 2026. Under the leadership of ACC Coach of the Year Tony Bresky, the Demon Deacons finished the season with a 34-4 record en route to their third consecutive NCAA semifinals appearance. Additionally, the Deacs claimed their second consecutive ACC regular season crown before claiming their fourth ACC Championship in program history and 60th in Wake Forest history with a 4-2 win over Virginia.
The Wake Forest football team underwent a resurgence during the first year of the Jake Dickert Era in 2025. The Demon Deacons finished the season with a 9-4 record, marking the fourth nine-win season in school history and the first since the 2021 season. With the nine wins, head coach Jake Dickert became the winningest first-year head coach in program history. The Demon Deacons capped off their incredible season with a dominant 43-29 win over Mississippi State in the Duke's Mayo Bowl, marking the team's 12th bowl win in its history. Wake Forest has now earned eight bowl game appearances since the 2016 season, holding a 6-2 record in those games.
The women's golf team continued its stellar play on the course as they picked up three team wins during the 2026 season, including winning the NCAA Tallahassee Regional to secure their eighth-straight NCAA Championship appearance. The Deacs also claimed wins at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Jackson T. Stephens Cup while handing No. 1 Stanford their lone stroke play loss and one of two match play losses at the Stephens Cup. With the three team wins, the Demon Deacons have now reached 60 wins in program history, with 30 of them coming under the coaching duo of Tony and Vi Golding Head Coach Kim Lewellen and Lyons Family Associate Head Coach Ryan Potter. Additionally, four Deacs brought home individual wins this season.
Individually, Rocky Hansen recorded one of the most historic seasons in Wake Forest cross country and track and field history. The Hendersonville, N.C., native finished as national runner-up in both cross country and in the men's outdoor 5000 meters, while also claiming the NCAA Southeast Region and ACC Cross Country individual titles. As a result, Hansen became the first Demon Deacon to be named ACC Men's Cross Country Performer of the Year.
Academically, a total of 282 Wake Forest student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll, marking the sixth consecutive year that the Demon Deacons have landed more than 280 student-athletes on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Wake Forest also produced another ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year, as Rocky Hansen won the award for men's cross country.
Most importantly, 104 student-athletes crossed the stage as graduates of Wake Forest University!
Finally, major progress has been made in the development of The Grounds. Creekside at The Grounds, a 519-bed modern apartment complex for Wake Forest students, is going up fast, with drywall in progress inside and brickwork happening outside. Meanwhile, the five-story office building at the corner of the newly renovated Deacon Boulevard and Piccolo Lane topped out with its final steel beam in mid-May, another major milestone closer to being the home for University Advancement. Meanwhile, the University Parkway and Cherry Street intersection is starting to flow with traffic in its new form. The old single lane pattern is being filled in for green space and safer crossings connected to the trails at The Grounds and the new Wake Forest gate.
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 and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
Click here for the complete 2025-26 Year in Review!
Highlights
Coming off of winning the NCAA Championship last season, the Wake Forest men's tennis team continued its dominant run in 2026. Under the leadership of ACC Coach of the Year Tony Bresky, the Demon Deacons finished the season with a 34-4 record en route to their third consecutive NCAA semifinals appearance. Additionally, the Deacs claimed their second consecutive ACC regular season crown before claiming their fourth ACC Championship in program history and 60th in Wake Forest history with a 4-2 win over Virginia.
The Wake Forest football team underwent a resurgence during the first year of the Jake Dickert Era in 2025. The Demon Deacons finished the season with a 9-4 record, marking the fourth nine-win season in school history and the first since the 2021 season. With the nine wins, head coach Jake Dickert became the winningest first-year head coach in program history. The Demon Deacons capped off their incredible season with a dominant 43-29 win over Mississippi State in the Duke's Mayo Bowl, marking the team's 12th bowl win in its history. Wake Forest has now earned eight bowl game appearances since the 2016 season, holding a 6-2 record in those games.
The women's golf team continued its stellar play on the course as they picked up three team wins during the 2026 season, including winning the NCAA Tallahassee Regional to secure their eighth-straight NCAA Championship appearance. The Deacs also claimed wins at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Jackson T. Stephens Cup while handing No. 1 Stanford their lone stroke play loss and one of two match play losses at the Stephens Cup. With the three team wins, the Demon Deacons have now reached 60 wins in program history, with 30 of them coming under the coaching duo of Tony and Vi Golding Head Coach Kim Lewellen and Lyons Family Associate Head Coach Ryan Potter. Additionally, four Deacs brought home individual wins this season.
Individually, Rocky Hansen recorded one of the most historic seasons in Wake Forest cross country and track and field history. The Hendersonville, N.C., native finished as national runner-up in both cross country and in the men's outdoor 5000 meters, while also claiming the NCAA Southeast Region and ACC Cross Country individual titles. As a result, Hansen became the first Demon Deacon to be named ACC Men's Cross Country Performer of the Year.
Academically, a total of 282 Wake Forest student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll, marking the sixth consecutive year that the Demon Deacons have landed more than 280 student-athletes on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Wake Forest also produced another ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year, as Rocky Hansen won the award for men's cross country.
Most importantly, 104 student-athletes crossed the stage as graduates of Wake Forest University!
Finally, major progress has been made in the development of The Grounds. Creekside at The Grounds, a 519-bed modern apartment complex for Wake Forest students, is going up fast, with drywall in progress inside and brickwork happening outside. Meanwhile, the five-story office building at the corner of the newly renovated Deacon Boulevard and Piccolo Lane topped out with its final steel beam in mid-May, another major milestone closer to being the home for University Advancement. Meanwhile, the University Parkway and Cherry Street intersection is starting to flow with traffic in its new form. The old single lane pattern is being filled in for green space and safer crossings connected to the trails at The Grounds and the new Wake Forest gate.
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 and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
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