Story perspectives

ACC Shifts NC State-UVA Game to Scott Stadium, $2M Settlement

6/4/2026

Summary

ACC Relocates Game

ACC moved the NC State–UVA game to Scott Stadium on Aug 29 2026 after Athlete Advantage said Brazil event could not be held.
The game had been set for Aug 29 at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which would have been a college football game in South America.
Ticket buyers through the College Football Brasil site will receive refunds.
NC State will receive $2 million, including a breach claim against Athlete Advantage.

Summary

Athlete Advantage Expands

Athlete Advantage announced it will pursue overseas college football events in 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Prospective venues include Mexico City and Italy, indicating a shift toward North-American and European markets.
Syracuse and Wake Forest will open 2027 at Toronto’s BMO Field, the first Canadian college game since 2010.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said the league can win globally, emphasizing the push for overseas games.

Summary

Virginia Secures Week0

The relocated matchup will be a Virginia home game at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville.
ESPN set a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Aug. 29, after the Dublin contest between North Carolina and TCU at noon ET.
Because the game is now on U.S. soil, the schools must obtain an NCAA waiver to keep the Week 0 date.
The contest, originally a non-conference home-and-home series, is now an ACC conference game.

History

Historical Context

The NFL’s first regular-season game outside the U.S. occurred on Oct 2 2005 when the Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49 ers at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca before 103,467 fans. After years of preseason American Bowls and the London-based International Series launched in 2007, the league added Mexico again in 2016, prompting college organizers like Athlete Advantage to mirror that model with the ACC’s NC State-Virginia matchup at Scott Stadium.

1 of 4

ACC Relocates Game

ACC moved the NC State–UVA game to Scott Stadium on Aug 29 2026 after Athlete Advantage said Brazil event could not be held.
The game had been set for Aug 29 at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which would have been a college football game in South America.
Ticket buyers through the College Football Brasil site will receive refunds.
NC State will receive $2 million, including a breach claim against Athlete Advantage.

1 / 4