NC State will open its 2026 season in Brazil, in the first-ever Football Bowl Subdivision game played in the South American nation.
The Wolfpack will take on Virginia in an ACC game on Aug. 29, 2026 in Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It will air on an ESPN network.
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The NFL has played two games in Brazil, one in each of the 2024 and 2025 seasons. More NFL games are scheduled in the country. The game is the same day that North Carolina plays TCU in Dublin, Ireland, a sign of football’s growth across the world.
“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 a statement.
Despite both being members of the ACC, NC State and Virginia originally scheduled the game as a nonconference game. But the league is moving to nine conference games in 2026, and the game – unlike this year’s meeting — will count in the conference standings.
“We are excited about the opportunity to play in a beautiful, world-renowned city like Rio de Janeiro and to bring American football to another continent,” NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan said. “It’s definitely a unique situation to play a road game versus Virginia in Brazil, but it should be an unforgettable experience.”
NC State announced Sunday that coach Dave Doeren will be back for his 14th season with the Wolfpack. NC State is headed to a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season. Virginia plays Duke in Saturday’s ACC Championship Game. NC State defeated Virginia earlier this season, one of just two losses for the Cavaliers this season.
Ticket presale opens Dec. 1 through the universities, while tickets go on sale to the public on Dec. 15.
The game is being organized by Athlete Advantage and Brasil Sports Business.