2026 Duke's Mayo Bowl

The 2026 Duke's Mayo Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 2, 2026, at Bank of America Stadium located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 24th annual Duke's Mayo Bowl began at approximately 8:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2025–26 bowl games concluding the 2025 FBS football season. The game's title sponsor was Duke's Mayonnaise.

Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) defeated Mississippi State of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), 43–29.

The game featured Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Mississippi State of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The teams had one prior meeting, a win by Mississippi State in the 2011 Music City Bowl.

Wake Forest compiled an 8–4 record during the regular season, losing (in overtime) to one ranked team, Georgia Tech, and defeating one ranked team, Virginia. This marked a considerable turnaround from their 2024 campaign, where the Demon Deacons went 4-8. In the prior offseason, Wake Forest hired former Washington State head coach Jake Dickert as their next head coach.

Mississippi State won their first four games, including a four-point win over ranked Arizona State, but then lost seven of their eight remaining games. Five defeats were to ranked teams—Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas, Georgia, and Ole Miss. With a 5–7 record, the Bulldogs were not bowl eligible, but received a invitation due to some bowl-eligible teams opting out.

• Game statistics at statbroadcast.com