Kickoff Time Announced For Virginia Football's Week Zero Clash With NC State In Brazil

Virginia is set to face NC State in Brazil to open the season and the kickoff time for the game is now set

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott enters the field before the game against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The month of May means kickoff times for early-season contests in college football will start to be released and one of the biggest opening games of the season is between Virginia and NC State, which is going to take place in Brazil and be the first college football game ever played in South America. The ACC game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and be played at Nilton Santos Stadium (Engenhão), host of the competitions for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It is going to make for one of the most unique atmospheres that a college football game has ever been played in, and it just so happens that it is an important game in the ACC.

2026 season kickoff in Brazil 🇧🇷 has been set #GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/xLM26aae12

— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) May 12, 2026

The two teams played last season in Raleigh, NC in what turned out to be an instant classic game that resulted in the Wolfpack winning 35-31. What was interesting about that game was that it was scheduled as a non-conference game and it did not impact the ACC race. While NC State was able to win that game, the Cavaliers got the last laught by being able to get to Charlotte for the ACC Championship game, where they would lose to Duke in overtime.

So how are these two teams going to look when they see each in Brazil?

NC State is going to look much different than last season, though they still have talented quarterback CJ Bailey running the offense. Bailey is back for another year with the Wolfpack, but NC State lost some of their top receivers to the transfer portal, star running back Hollywood Smothers to the portal, and tight end Justin Joly is in the NFL.

Defensively, NC State is hoping to bounce back from a year in which they were one of the worst defenses in the conference.

UVA is hoping to make it back to the ACC Championship game, but they are also going to have a different look about them. Gone is Chandler Morris and Virginia in the middle of a quarterback battle between former Missouri starting quarterback Beau Pribula and former Pitt QB Eli Holstein. Virginia is going to have one of the most underrated running back rooms in the country, as well as a veteran offensive line.

The biggest questions that Virginia is going to have as a team are going to be at wide receiver and defensive back.

This is going to be a big game in the conference and a great way to start the 2026 college football season.