Wake Forest pays $1 million to opt out of 2025 game against No. 5 Ole Miss after 40-6 blowout

Wake Forest officials had already canceled a planned 2025 game against No. 5 Ole Miss before the Rebels delivered a 40-6 beatdown to the Demon Deacons on Saturday.

While Wake Forest’s football team laid a dud on the field, the athletic department signed a $1 million check to opt out of the rematch, the second half of a scheduled home-and-home series.

The two teams were scheduled to face off in Oxford, Mississippi, but Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said the Demon Deacons have decided not to make the trip.

Ole Miss’s athletic department confirmed the news but noted that the decision was made before Saturday’s game.

“[Wake Forest Athletic Director] John Currie called and said they're buying out of the game," Kiffin said. "I thought that was a good message for our players. Someone was willing to pay money not to play us. It says a lot about where our program is right now."

Wake Forest officials have not talked about the factors that influenced their decision.