US EditionVirginia, NC State to open 2026 college football season in historic Rio de Janeiro clash
- On Aug. 29, 2026 NC State Wolfpack football team and University of Virginia football team will open the 2026 season in Rio de Janeiro in the first college football game in South America.
- Athlete Advantage and Brasil Sports Business organized the game with full support from Rio government partners, organizers said Rio was chosen for its international prestige and stadium quality.
- An ESPN network will televise the game with additional streaming options under discussion at Nilton Santos Stadium, the 44,661-seat venue home to Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas.
- As the ACC shifts to a nine-game schedule, the Rio result will count toward conference standings and Virginia is the designated home team, still hosting six home games at Scott Stadium.
- The matchup expands college football's footprint in South America, raising the global profile of the Atlantic Coast Conference and schools while the National Football League's recent Brazil deals signal growing U.S. football presence.
22 Articles
22 Articles
ACC Continues To Make No Sense At All, Will Open 2026 CFB Season In South America
College football is headed to South America. If that sentence isn’t unique enough for you, let’s try this one: North Carolina State and Virginia will kick off ACC play in 2026 in what will be the first-ever FBS game held on the continent.If your immediate reaction is to ask why, you are certainly not alone. NC State and Virginia showcasing the Atlantic Athletic Conference in South America — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to be precise — makes about as …
readingeagle
Independent EspañolRALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — NC State and Virginia will open next season in Brazil, becoming the first college football game ever played in South America. The game will be played on August 29, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, according to an announcement from the universities, organizers, and the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game in Brazil, first reported by Pack Pride in November, will count as a league game. The teams had agreed to a series of hom…
Alabama Live
University of Virginia AthleticsACC foes to clash in South America to begin 2026 college football season
The ACC is headed to the South Atlantic to start the 2026 college football season.
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