Game time announced for Virginia at Florida State: another nationally televised contest

The Cavaliers continue to avoid a 12 p.m. kickoff

Sep 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers tight end John Rogers (89) catches a pass near the sideline during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once again, Virginia will not be playing in the typical 12 p.m. slot.

For their first ACC road game Oct. 3 at Florida State, the Cavaliers have a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on either ESPN2 or ACC Network.

Virginia has been in primetime often, starting games at 3:30, 7 and 7:30. Two of those games were nationally televised (NC State and West Virginia). The Cavaliers' next game, Saturday against Delaware, has a 6 p.m. kickoff on ACC Network.

This marks the first time in the Tony Elliott era that Virginia starts its season with five straight non-noon games. It is also the first time that four of its first five games are nationally broadcast (ESPN, ESPN2 or ACC Network).

A look at Florida State

The Seminoles are 1-2, with a win over New Mexico State that was a bit too close for comfort. In their second game, they benefited from four SMU turnovers but still lost by a field goal. Then things got interesting. This week, Florida State led 21-6 at No. 10 Alabama — ultimately losing 50-36.

Clearly, there is great talent in Tallahassee, Fla. — but self-inflicted errors and a subpar defense hold the Seminoles back from being a mid-tier team in the ACC.

It is a similar story to last year's Florida State team, which was ranked No. 8 nationally before losing at Virginia and then slumping through a season-defining losing streak.

Virginia's path to Tallahassee

Before the Oct. 3 bout with Florida State, the Cavaliers host Delaware in their final non-conference game. Virginia is expected to win by several scores and bounce back from a surprising double-digit loss to West Virginia.

Last week, ESPN projected the Cavaliers to go 11-1. Now, however, things have changed. That big loss to the Mountaineers has cast a temporary doubt across Virginia's entire campaign. The Cavaliers are now projected to go 9-3, with some games that once seemed like guarantees turning into near-toss ups.

The Seminoles game could be a very difficult test for Virginia. If Florida State cleans up its mistakes and finds some improvement on defense, it could very well hand the Cavaliers their second loss of the season far earlier than expected.

However, Virginia beat the Seminoles before. Many architects of last year's stunning upset are still with the team, and they are looking to go 2-0 against Florida State. The Cavaliers also have a major advantage in terms of coaching, depth and experience.