The Gazelle Group announced on Apr. 9 that West Virginia University and Wake Forest University will face each other in the 2026 edition of Holiday Hoopfest, presented by Visit Greensboro. The game is scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2026, at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The matchup continues a long-standing rivalry between the Demon Deacons and Mountaineers. This will be their fifth meeting on a neutral floor and the twelfth overall since their first contest in 1948. In their most recent game in December 2025, Wake Forest defeated West Virginia with a score of 75-66 in Charleston.
Wake Forest concluded its previous season with an overall record of 18-17 and advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Meanwhile, West Virginia finished with a record of 21-14 and was one of only three college basketball teams to end its season with a win after defeating Oklahoma in the championship game of the College Basketball Crown.
Ticket sales information, tip-off time, and television broadcast details have not yet been released. Updates about these details will be shared later through official event channels including X @holihoopfest.
First Horizon Coliseum has hosted numerous major sporting events over its history—including NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments more than twenty times—and is known as one of the premier venues for college basketball tournaments. The Gazelle Group specializes in organizing national college sports events such as Holiday Hoopfest as well as other tournaments across various institutions.
