ACC History Vault

Has Wake Forest won a national championship?

Key takeaways

  • Wake Forest Demon Deacons football has not won a national championship.
  • Across the ACC, Pittsburgh (9), California (5), Miami (5), Georgia Tech (4), Clemson (3), Florida State (3), SMU (3), Stanford (2), Syracuse (1) have claimed national titles.
  • All-time record in our game log (1908-2026): 499-694-31.
0 National titles
499-694-31 Record 1908-2026
12 of 18 Bowl / playoff wins
1944 (8-1) Best season

Wake Forest postseason, 1908-2026

Wake Forest Demon Deacons postseason results by season
SeasonRecordPostseason
20259-4Won Duke's Mayo Bowl
20228-5Won Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
202111-3Won TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
20204-5Lost Duke's Mayo Bowl
20198-5Lost NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL
20187-6Won JARED BIRMINGHAM BOWL
20178-5Won Bowl game
20167-6Won MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN
20116-7Lost FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL
20088-5Won Bowl game
20079-4Won Bowl game
200611-3Lost ORANGE BOWL AT MIAMI FL
20027-6Won Bowl game
19997-5Won Bowl game
19928-4Won Bowl game
19798-4Lost Bowl game
19486-4Lost Bowl game
19455-3-1Won Bowl game

Source: CollegeFootballData game results via the CFB Data Hub.

National titles across the ACC

ACC national championships by program
TeamTitlesLast title
Pittsburgh Panthers 9 1976
California Golden Bears 5 1937
Miami Hurricanes 5 2001
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 4 1990
Clemson Tigers 3 2018
Florida State Seminoles 3 2013
SMU Mustangs 3 1982
Stanford Cardinal 2 1940
Syracuse Orange 1 1959
Boston College Eagles 0 None yet
Duke Blue Devils 0 None yet
Louisville Cardinals 0 None yet
NC State Wolfpack 0 None yet
North Carolina Tar Heels 0 None yet
Virginia Cavaliers 0 None yet
Virginia Tech Hokies 0 None yet
Wake Forest Demon Deacons this page 0 None yet

Current ACC members, claimed national championships.

Where Wake Forest sits in the ACC

Current ACC programs have claimed 35 national titles between them: nine for Pittsburgh, five for California, five for Miami, four for Georgia Tech, three for Clemson, three for Florida State, three for SMU, two for Stanford and one for Syracuse. The other eight programs are still chasing a first. See how this season is shaping up on the ACC standings, or browse every season on the Wake Forest record by year page.

Editorial note

College football crowned national champions by polls and selectors before the BCS (1998) and the College Football Playoff (2014). The titles here are the ones each program claims in its own record book.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons football has not won a national championship.

About the author and reviewer

Written by

The ACCFOOTBALL.CO Desk

Conference Newsroom · Independent ACC coverage since 2026

The house desk of ACCFOOTBALL.CO - independent researchers tracking every ACC game, stat and storyline.

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Frequently asked questions

Has Wake Forest ever won a national championship?

Wake Forest Demon Deacons football has not won a national championship.

Which ACC teams have won national championships?

Pittsburgh (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976), California (1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937), Miami (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001), Georgia Tech (1917, 1928, 1952, 1990), Clemson (1981, 2016, 2018), Florida State (1993, 1999, 2013), SMU (1935, 1981, 1982), Stanford (1926, 1940), Syracuse (1959).