CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia and North Carolina State officially announced that the teams’ Aug. 29 meeting in next year’s football season opener will be played at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It will be the first-ever college football game played in South America.

“This is a great opportunity for the University of Virginia and our football program,” Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams said in a release. “UVA 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. We’re honored to participate in such a historic event and thrilled that Brazil will be our host.”

The teams were scheduled to play the back end of a home-and-home non-conference series in Charlottesville in 2026. Instead, this game will be a conference contest as the ACC moves to nine league games. It’s unclear if Virginia was slated to have four or five home ACC games in 2026. If UVA was going to have five ACC home games next season, the Brazil game would replace one. If it was slated to have four, it won’t cost Virginia a home game.

“This will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for our team and program and will be something our guys will remember for their entire lives,” said Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren in a release. “We are looking forward to experiencing the culture of Brazil while also providing the fans in Rio an exciting football game against a great opponent.”

The release noted College Football Brasil is powered by Athlete Advantage, in partnership with Brasil Sports Business, and with the full support of the Governor of the Rio de Janeiro State, Claudio Castro, and the city of Rio de Janeiro through the Mayor Eduardo Paes, highlighting one of the world’s premier sports cities. 

“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. We appreciate College Football Brasil for this incredible opportunity to celebrate our student-athletes and highlight the global appeal of the ACC, our schools, and the sport of football. We’re proud of both institutions for leading the way in this historic event and our partners at ESPN, who will broadcast this premier event.”

“College Football Brasil represents an extraordinary opportunity for two incredible universities and their football programs to showcase the best of our sport on an international stage while creating unforgettable experiences for student-athletes, fans, and the communities that support them,” said Athlete Advantage CEO Crowley Sullivan to Virginia Athletics. “Rio is the perfect setting for an event of this magnitude, given its unmatched passion for sport and ability to host world-class competition.”