Relocated from Rio, Important NC State/Virginia Rivalry Game Will Play Out In Week 0 On A More Local Stage In the US

The 2026 college football kicks off in the United States on Aug. 29.

Three hours after North Carolina and TCU kickoff in Dublin, Ireland, No. 14 Southern Cal entertains San Jose State in the only one of eight games on the day to feature a ranked team.

Most eyes are likely to be on the North Carolina State-Virginia game that will be played at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va. as it pits the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals in a key game for both teams.

The game was originally scheduled to be played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but was moved to Charlottesville when organizers determined it could be conducted as planned after “extensive review with operational partners and international stakeholders,” according to a news release from the Atlantic Coast Conference in June.

The game will be the 60th all-time meeting between the two teams, original members of the Atlantic Coast Conference when it was formed in 1953.

Virginia won the first meeting 5-0 on Oct. 15, 1904 and has dropped the last four meetings since downing the Wolfpack 33-6 during the 2012 season.

N.C. State, which won last year’s game won last year’s game 35-21 at Carter-Finley Stadium, holds a 37-21-1 advantage in the series.

Wolfpack Expecting Big Things from QB CJ Bailey

Dave Doeren has cemented his legacy as coach at North Carolina State. The new all-time wins leader as coach of the Wolfpack has guided his teams to a record of 95-70 in his 14 seasons at the helm of the program.

His 95 wins at the school surpasses the previous record of 77 wins by Earle Edwards, who guided the Wolfpack for 17 seasons (1954-70) and finished his tenure at the school with a record of 77-88-8.

His teams have won at least eight games in seven of the past nine seasons, including an 8-5 record in 2025.

But not since NFL star Phillip Rivers guided N.C. State to 11 wins in 2002, has the Wolfpack reached double-digit victories for a second time in school history.

They are hoping to change that when the season gets under way against Virginia.

But it may not be easy to do.

N.C. State is predicted to finish seventh in the 16-team Atlantic Coast Conference. But on a bright note, just two of the nine conference foes are picked to finish ahead of the Wolfpack. And both come in the first half of the season.

After visiting Charlottesville, Va. for the season opener, the Wolfpack plays three non-conference games before playing host to Louisville on Oct. 3 at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Highly-touted quarterback CJ Bailey (6-6, 213, Jr.) returns operate the N.C. State offense.

After throwing for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024, hee completed 273 of 397 passes (.688) last season for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. He also added 215 yards rushing on 89 carries (2.4 ypc) and six additional touchdowns. That number likely would have been better had he not fumbled five times during the season.

“His leadership jumps off the table,” Doeren said of his talented signal caller. “Last year he was an offensive leader, this year he’s a team later. And it’s different. He can feel it. He’s got complete confidence and they have complete confidence in him … and he knows that.”

Bailey has been named on four preseason watch lists, including the Davey O’Brien Award, oldest and most prestigious award. which recognizes the nation’s best college quarterback.

He is also on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

N.C. State will be looking to Duke Scott (5-10, 214, So.) to lead the backfield while another rusher or two develops to lend support and take some of the load off Scott, who played sparingly in 2025, but still managed 595 yards on 106 carries (5.6 ypc) and scoring four touchdowns for the Wolfpack.

He is the top returning rusher from a year ago.

Davion Ganse (5-11, 212, Jr.) will likely join Scott in the starting backfield, at least in the early part of the season. He carried 61 times for 258 yards (4.2 ypc) last season and scored three times.

Victor Snow (5-8, 170, Sr.) returns for N.C. State after hauling in 62 passes for 815 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024, while Davion Dozier (6-3, 195, Sr.) and Tyran Warren (6-3, 180, Sr.) also return after combining for 890 receiving yards a year ago.

Dozier paced that duo with 448 yards on 20 receptions for five touchdowns, while Warren was close behind with 442 yards on 24 catches and four scores.

Defense will be a question mark as the season unfolds and how quickly the Wolfpack can shore up some deficiencies, especially along the defensive front, will go a long way in how high N.C. State finishes in the league standings.

The Wolfpack ranked 97th in scoring defense (28.7) and 107th in total defense (401.5) a year ago.

Doeren added LB Popo Aguire from Miami to bolster the Wolfpack defense. Aguirre spent three seasons at Miami, where he made 2 starts in 39 games, recording 77 tackles and 1 sack. He had a career-best six stops against Notre Dame.

Asaad Brown (6-0, 199, Jr.) and King Mack (5-10, 195), both safeties, return to lead the N.C. State defense after finishing 2025 with 64 (39) solo and 58 (26 solo) tackles, respectively, in 20025. Teammate Ronnie Royal (5-9, 185, Jr.) added 49 (28 solo) tackles a year ago.

2026 Wolfpack Schedule
Aug. 29 at Virginia
Sept. 4 Open Date
Sept. 11 RICHMOND
Sept 19 at Vanderbilt
Sept. 26 APPALACHIAN STATE
Oct. 3 LOUISVILLE
Oct. 10 WAKE FOREST
Oct. 17 Open Date
Oct. 23 at Stanford
Oct. 31 CALIFORNIA
Nov. 7 DUKE
Nov. 14 SYRACUSE
Nov. 21 at Florida State
Nov. 28 at North Carolina

2025 Wolfpack (4-4 ACC/8-5 Overall)
Last Time Out:
Gasparilla Bowl
at Tampa, Fla.
W-vs. Memphis 31-7

Hoos Look to Take Another Step Forward After Historic Season

Half of those triumphs came during the 2025 season and now Virginia looking to take another step on the way to the prize that narrowly escaped the Cavaliers in 2025.

Virginia, which was looking for its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1995, rallied from a 20-10 with 5:02 left in the 2025 conference championship game to tie the game with a field goal and a 96-yard touchdown drive to force the game against Duke to overtime.

The Blue Devils scored on a one-yard pass from Darian Mensah to Jeremiah Hasley to regain the lead, but Virginia’s last-ditch effort was thwarted on an interception to give Duke the 27-20 win.

Virginia went on to defeat Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl to give the Cavaliers an 11-3 record on the year. The 11 wins were the most in program history.

The win in the final game of the year ease some of the sting of missing out on the league title, but it also provided a sense of optimism as Elliott begins his fifth year at the helm of the Cavaliers.

“I think we’ve progressed as a program from a depth standpoint,” said Elliott, who owns a 22-26 coaching record at Virginia.

The Virginia offense is expected to be guided this season by Beau Pribula (6-2, 209, graduate). He completed 182 of 270 passes for 1,946 yards and 11 touchdowns last season while also tossing nine interceptions.

But expect the Cavaliers to run the ball. And then run it some more.

After all they have six runningbacks on scholarship and all six are looking to replace all-ACC performer J’Mari Taylor, who ran the ball 222 times of the 446 rushes by the Cavaliers last season.

“You need multiple guys that can carry the load,” said Elliott as fall practice moved closer to the start of the regular season.

Jekail Middlebrook (5-10, 198, Sr.) is the top rusher returning for Virginia. He rushed 140 times for 752 yards (5.4 ypc) and four touchdowns last season. Teammate Solomon Beebe (5-10, 199, Jr.) added 338 yards on 56 carries (6.0 ypc) and six scores for the Cavalier.

Peyton Lewis (6-1, 212, Jr.), Xavier Brown (5-10, 202, graduate) and Noah Vaughn (5-9-, 196, Sr.) combined for 705 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago with Lewis leading that trio with 290 yards and seven scores.

The Hoos also have a bevy of talent returning that can catch the football, which should allow Pribula to operate the offense to keep the opposition on full alert.

Jacquon Gibson (5-11, 196, graduate) is the top returning pass catcher after hauling in 63 passes for 616 yards last season, but despite all the receptions, failed to find the end zone for Virginia.

Teammates Da’Shawn Martin (6-0, 180, Jr.) and Tyson Davis (5-10, 187, graduate) combined for 58 receptions, 830 yards and six TDs in 2025. Martin led that duo with 33 catches, 507 yards and four touchdowns, while Davis chipped in with 25 catches, 323 yards and a pair of scores for the Cavaliers.

To what extent the Virginia defense rises to depend a lot on the eventual return of linebacker Kam Robinson (6-2, 239, Jr.).

An electrifying player, Robinson compiled 64 (20 solo) tackles, including four tackles for loss last season before tearing an ACL and missing the rest of the season.

His workload during fall camp has increased, and Elliott is hoping he will be ready for the season opener against the Wolfpack.

“The problem with Kam is when Kam’s out there, you just want to watch Kam … and you don’t see some of the other players,” Elliott said.

The Virginia defensive line is deep, athletic and physical. It includes four players who tallied at least 30 total tackles last season led by Fisher Camac (6-7-262, Sr.), who tallied 44 (21 solo) tackles, including four sacks and six tackles for loss.

Jonathan Allen (6-2, 304, Sr.) and Jason Hammond (6-2, 284, Sr.) finished with 34 and 33 tackle, respectively with each recording 12 solo tackles in 2025. Teammate Anthony Britton (6-3, 308, Sr.) finished just behind with 30 (7 solo) tackles on the season.

The Virginia secondary was kept busy last season with seven players having at least 30 tackles from their defensive backfield positions a year ago. All are returning and gives Elliott a solid corps of defenders in that area of the field to build around.

Safety Jaylen Jones (5-8, 198, graduate) paced that group with 66 (34 solo) tackles and five tackles for loss.Jalen McNair (5-8, 198, graduate) was also active for the Cavaliers and tallied 50 (27 solo) tackles and teammate Brandyn Hillman (6-0, 190, Sr.) added 49 (31 solo) tackles on the season. Meanwhile, Ethan Minter (5-8, 198), pitched in with 47 (27 solo) tackles, including four resulting in lost yardage.

“(Hillman) is always going to something that’s going to flash,” said Elliott of the transfer from Michigan State, who earned honorable mention all-Big Ten accolades last season.

Cornerbacks Jacobie Henderson (5-11, 198, graduate), Donovan Platt (5-11, 212, graduate) and Justin Ross (6-2, 187, Jr.) combined for 105 tackles (48 (solo) a year ago and each tallied three tackles for loss for the Cavaliers.

2026 Cavaliers Schedule
Aug. 29 N.C. STATE
Sept. 5 Open Date
Sept. 11 NORFOLK STATE
Sept. 19 vs. West Virginia
(Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, N.C.)
Sept. 26 DELAWARE
Oct. 3 at Florida State
Oct. 10 SYRACUSE
Oct. 17 at SMU
Oct. 23 DUKE
Oct. 31 at Wake Forest
Nov. 14 CALIFORNIA
Nov. 21 NORTH CAROLINA

2025 Cavaliers (7-1 ACC/11-3 Overall)
Last Time Out:
Gator Bowl
at Jacksonville, Fla.
W-vs. Missouri 13-7