Chris CwikContributing writerMon, December 1, 2025 at 2:03 PM UTC·2 min readWhen NC State and Virginia open conference play next season, they'll do so in historic fashion. The two teams will square off at Nilton Santos Stadium in Brazil, marking the first college football game played in South America.
The game — which will take place Aug. 29, 2026 — was made official in a release Monday. The event is being called "College Football Brasil." The release says the Portuguese spelling of Brazil is intentional, as it reflects "the spirit of cultural connection at the core of this event," per ESPN.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNC State athletic director Boo Corrigan said the game should be an unforgettable experience, per the release.
"We're excited about the opportunity to play a game in a beautiful, world-renowned city like Rio de Janeiro and to bring American football to another continent. It's definitely a unique situation to play a road game versus Virginia in Brazil, but it should be an unforgettable experience."
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said he was excited that conference play will begin on an international stage.
Virginia will be considered the home team.
Nilton Santos Stadium has hosted a number of sports since it opened in 2007. While it's mostly known for hosting soccer matches, the stadium has also hosted the Pan American games, the Olympics and various concerts.
While the NFL has played games in Brazil in recent seasons, the league hasn't played in Rio de Janeiro yet. In both 2024 and 2025, the league played its one Brazil game in São Paulo. That will change in 2026, as the NFL is also expected to play a game in Rio de Janeiro next season. The NFL has not announced which teams will take part in that contest.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementVirginia will be looking to open conference play with a win after going 7-1 and winning the ACC this season. NC State will look to bounce back after going 4-4 in conference play.
The two teams did square off once this season. Despite Virginia being ranked, the team fell to NC State in a close 35-31 loss.
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