The ACC opened both the 2016 and 2024 seasons in Ireland. They’re doing so again in 2026 by having North Carolina battle TCU. But the Tar Heels aren’t the only ACC school who will be kicking off the campaign on an international stage.
Monday morning, ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported that NC State and Virginia will open the 2026 season in Brazil. The Wolfpack-Cavaliers matchup, labeled “College Football Brasil,” will count toward the ACC standings, unlike their 2025 meeting. Their battle will be the first-ever college football game in South America.
“To have NC State and Virginia open our conference schedule on an international stage in Rio de Janeiro speaks to the vision, innovation, and collaboration of our league,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in the statement, per ESPN. “This is an extraordinary moment for the ACC and for college football.”
Virginia’s participation in this event comes on the heels of a potential College Football Playoff berth. If the Cavaliers can beat Duke in the ACC Championship on Saturday night, they will secure a CFP spot as one of the 5 highest-ranked conference champions. Their loss to NC State this year came in a home-and-home non-conference series between the schools, organized after ACC expansion eliminated their yearly matchup. Next season, a loss to the Wolfpack would impact the Cavaliers in the ACC standings.
The NC State-Virginia game in Brazil is scheduled for Aug. 29, 2026.
