The ACC released its preseason poll for the 2025 football season on Wednesday afternoon, and reigning champion Clemson was picked to conquer the conference yet again.
The Tigers, who are gunning for their 10th ACC title under Dabo Swinney, earned 167 of a possible 183 first-place votes. Clemson has captured 8 of the past 10 ACC titles since 2015, a decade-long dominance that most media members who attended last week’s ACC Media Days in Charlotte believe will continue this fall.
Clemson outlasted SMU, 34-31, in last year’s ACC title game, also in Charlotte, to reign supreme in the conference it’s owned during a run that’s included 2 national titles in 2016 and 2018.
Miami was picked to finish 2nd this fall, earning 7 of the 16 first-place votes that Clemson didn’t get. SMU was right behind Miami in being picked to finish 3rd, with the Mustangs earning 2 first-place votes.
Georgia Tech was picked to finish 4th, and the Yellow Jackets also earned 2 first-place votes.
Louisville, Duke and Florida State were selected to finish 5th, 6th and 7th, respectively, with the Seminoles earning 4 first-place votes. North Carolina was picked to finish 8th in Bill Belichick’s much-anticipated first season as head coach in Chapel Hill. Louisville was just behind Georgia Tech in that 5th spot.
Pittsburgh and NC State rounded out the top 10 of the preseason poll, respectively, with Virginia Tech being picked to finish 11th and earning that last first-place vote.
Here is the complete ACC preseason poll:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
