NC State-Virginia opener no longer headed to Brazil

The NC State-Virginia football game scheduled to open the 2026 season in Brazil is being moved back to the United States, NC State Athletics announced Wednesday.

The ACC, NC State and Virginia are working to confirm the game will be played Saturday, Aug. 29, at Virginia’s Scott Stadium.

NC State's season opener vs. Virginia will be relocated to Charlottesville. https://t.co/wY1w5VcsLk pic.twitter.com/IintRnzwI9

The matchup, branded as “College Football Brasil,” was originally set for Rio de Janeiro and would have been the first FBS game ever played in South America.

In a release, NC State and the ACC said the change came after communication with Athlete Advantage, which informed the conference and the participating schools that the event could not be held.

Fans who bought tickets or travel packages through the College Football Brasil website will receive refunds.

NC State beat Virginia in Raleigh in 2025, but that game did not count in the ACC standings — a detail that helped the Cavaliers reach the ACC Championship Game. With the ACC moving to a nine-game conference schedule, the 2026 matchup will count in the league standings.

A previous WRAL report noted that Athlete Advantage was expected to pay NC State a $2 million participation fee, due 30 days after the game. Athlete Advantage was responsible for planning, managing, marketing and executing the Brazil game.