ACC football is officially heading to South America, as the NC State Wolfpack and Virginia Cavaliers are set to play the first college football game ever held in Brazil in the 2026 season, marking a historic moment for both programs and especially for the conference.
The matchup will not just be a part of the international expansion of the game, but it will also be counted as a conference game, per 247Sports’ R. Cory Smith wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“NC State and Virginia are set to play a game in Brazil in 2026, according to PackPride sources. It will count as an ACC contest, with the two teams playing the first-ever game in Brazil and the first international game for both teams.”
His report confirms that the game will serve as a replacement for the previously scheduled return trip to Charlottesville, originally set for the 2025 season.
The Wolfpack and Cavaliers already met earlier this year in a tight Week 2 matchup, which NC State won 35-31, handing Virginia its first loss of the season. Their Brazil meeting will now come with even bigger stakes as part of the ACC race.
This will be the first time NC State plays outside the United States in program history, aligning the school with a growing trend of international college football games.
ACC’s Brazil game arrives amid rapid international growth
While college football has never made its way to Brazil, the NFL has been expanding into the region. Over the last two seasons, Brazil hosted the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles, which also marked the first-ever NFL game played outside America, and the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers matchup.
The league is set to return in 2026 with a game at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracanã Stadium, further showcasing the country’s growing appetite for American football.
While Dublin has hosted an early-season matchup for College Football, and reportedly will continue to do so till 2037. The Week 0 game in Ireland has attracted many football fans outside of US, and another high-profile international contest is already set for 2026 when UNC takes on TCU in Ireland.
As international football continues to grow, with examples like Iowa State’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic win over Kansas State in Ireland in the opener of the 2025 season, the ACC’s move into Brazil could be a major step in expanding the sport’s global reach.
And for NC State and Virginia, the 2026 matchup promises to be more than historic; it could reshape their conference trajectories on an international stage.
