Virginia Athletics announced Monday that the Cavaliers will play the 2026 football season opener not at Scott Stadium, but at Milton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aug. 29.
The game will be the first ever college football game played in South America and will be nationally televised on ESPN. Virginia will play NC State for one of three “week zero” games planned to kick off the 2026 NCAA season. The others are Stanford versus Hawaii, and North Carolina versus TCU in Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
According to Athletic Director Carla Williams, an international game could expand the Cavaliers’ audience.
“This is a great opportunity for the University of Virginia and our football program,” Williams said. “U.Va. is already recognized globally, and this event allows us to expand our international presence, both as a leading academic institution and as a premier athletics program.”
Brazil is no stranger to hosting American football and other major sporting events. The NFL has played two games in Sao Paulo in 2024 and 2025 with a deal to play three more in the coming years. Brazil also hosted the World Cup, Olympics and Copa America in 2014, 2016 and 2021 respectively.
“Hosting this college American football game in Rio de Janeiro is more than a sporting event, it is a strategic opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the North American market, currently one of the most relevant for tourism in the state of Rio,” Gustavo Tutuca, Rio de Janeiro State Secretary of Tourism, said.
The opportunity to reach an international audience is also viewed as valuable by the ACC.
“To have NC State and Virginia open our conference schedule on an international stage in Rio de Janeiro speaks to the vision, innovation, and collaboration of our league,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. “This is an extraordinary moment for the ACC and for college football.”
This news comes during what is one of Virginia’s best seasons in program history — the Cavaliers are 10-2 with a conference-best 7-1 record in ACC play. They will battle Duke in the ACC Championship game Saturday.
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