The 2025 Wolverine-Deacon Challenge takes place early this season on Tuesday, November 11th, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The Michigan Wolverines (1-0) face off against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0). This neutral-site rematch, Michigan hosting after a 72-70 loss to Wake Forest in Greensboro last year, tips off at 6:30 PM ET and serves as a tune-up for both squads ahead of conference play. With Michigan’s revamped roster under new coach Dusty May and Wake Forest’s transfer-heavy rebuild, expect to see a competitive early, early season game. We have everything you need to enjoy it below. How to watch, live score trackers, and more.
2025 Wolverine-Deacon Challenge Preview
The 2025 Wolverine-Deacon Challenge sees both teams coming in after statement wins to start the season. Michigan took care of Oakland 121-78 on November 3rd. They shot a record-tying 68.4% from the field that game. They have the #2 rated transfer class this season as well as five star freshmen, Trey McKinney who did not disappoint in the opener. Wake Forest, on the other hand, beat American 92-67 pretty easily in their opener. They also reloaded in the portal this season along with new freshmen Isaac Carr and Jaylen Cross. Coached by Steve Forbes, Wake enters the matchup looking to prepare to contend in the ACC.
This Wolverine-Deacon Challenge event, sponsored by the Birmingham Sports Foundation but hosted in Detroit to showcase Michigan’s program, projects a high-scoring affair. At the time of this writing, the over/under: 152.5 points (via DraftKings). It’s a fun, high-quality non-conference test with dueling redemption storylines.
How to Watch the 2025 Wolverine-Deacon Challenge: TV and Streaming Info
If you are looking for how to watch the 2025 Wolverine-Deacon Challenge, we have you covered. The game is being broadcast nationally on FS1 with tip-off at 6:30 PM ET. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:00 PM ET.
- TV Channel: FS1
- Streaming Options:
- FOX Sports app (free with TV provider login) or FOXSports.com
- FuboTV (free trial available, $79.99/month after)
- Sling TV (Orange plan includes FS1, $40/month)
- YouTube TV ($72.99/month, includes FS1)
- Radio: SiriusXM Channel 84 (Michigan) / Channel 85 (Wake Forest); TuneIn app for local streams
- International: FOX Sports International
Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster or 313Presents.com . Prices start as low as $25 for upper-level seats. For cord-cutters, the FOX Sports app on Roku, Fire TV, or mobile is seamless. No regional blackouts for this Detroit-hosted event.
How to Follow Live Scores
Track every possession in real-time across your favorite platforms:
- Official Apps: ESPN or NCAA March Madness Live for play-by-play, live stats, and instant highlights.
- Score Alerts: Set notifications on CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, or the Action Network app—all free.
Current betting line: Michigan -4.5 | O/U 152.5 (as of November 7; check DraftKings or other bookmakers on the day for updates).
Why Watch the 2025 Wolverine-Deacon Challenge?
This rematch blends redemption, rebuilds, and rising stars in a Detroit spotlight. Michigan’s fast-break meets Wake’s speed for a game with top-25 rankings implications. Who takes Motown: Go Blue or Demon Deacons? If you want to check out the postseason conference tournaments for each team, you can see the 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule and the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule here. We also have the blank 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket up for those who like to do their own bracketology early in the season.
