What the NC-State-Virginia Relocation Says About College Football's International Push

A look at NC State and Virginia's decision to move their matchup from Brazil to the U.S. and the future of foreign college football games.

Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver TyLyric Coleman (17) clutches his hand during the second half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NC State and Virginia are set to kick off their 2026 campaigns against one another at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The matchup between the Wolfpack and Cavaliers is expected to be among the strongest in Week 0. Led by quarterback CJ Bailey, NC State looks to make a jump toward the top of the ACC while Virginia hopes to return to the conference title game following its 10-win 2025 season.

This technical non-conference matchup between conference foes was originally supposed to take place in Rio de Janeiro, marking college football's first game in Brazil. However, both teams agreed to move the game to Charlottesville back on June 3.

NC State-Virginia is the second 2026 international game to move back to the U.S.

Michigan was originally supposed to open the 2026 season against Western Michigan in Frankfurt, Germany. Like the proposed game between NC State and Virginia in Brazil, this was set to be college football's first game in Germany.

The Broncos and Wolverines are within a two-hour driving distance of one another, so an overseas matchup would have exponentially increased the travel time for both programs. Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel later stated the move was not financially sensible.

Should college football push for more international games?

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is tackled by Florida State defensive back Shyheim Brown and defensive lineman Makius Scott at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been at the forefront of making American football's presence felt internationally. The league plays games in a handful of foreign countries each season, and Goodell has voiced his hope to add new franchises overseas in the coming years.

However, much of what makes college football great is the different home atmosphere across the sport. There is already a disdain for neutral-site games within the U.S., and playing games in different countries as opposed to these college football cathedrals only amplifies that disdain.

The obvious obstacle to playing international games at the collegiate level is the financial one. Home football games generate a significant chunk of a school's revenue, and the ones that opt to play games overseas can only generate so much revenue when small portions of their fan bases travel that great a distance.

In addition to the fans, colleges have to take into account how costly travel is for their teams. Overseas travel is minimal in football, but major basketball programs have seen a pronounced reduction the last two years; instead of playing in tournaments like the Maui Invitational and Battle 4 Atlantis, they have popularized The Players Era Festival in Las Vegas because it costs less to get there and offers NIL incentives to participating teams.

In addition to financial costs, international games create a strange hangover for the teams that play them.

Several participants in the Ireland games over the last five years fell apart after the game. Nebraska and Northwestern posted a combined 5-19 record in 2022, Florida State followed its ACC Championship run in 2023 with a 2-10 mark in 2024, and both Kansas State and Iowa State made coaching changes in the 2026 offseason.