Report: NC State, Virginia to play game in Brazil in 2026

NC State and Virginia are set to make college football history in 2026. According to Cory Smith of Pack Pride, the teams will play the first ever college football game to take place in Brazil.

The contest will count as a conference game. It will also be the first international game for either school.

This is not the only college football game that will be played abroad during the 2026 season. Arizona State and Kansas are set to play a Big 12 game in London at Wembley Stadium, while North Carolina and TCU have a contest scheduled in Ireland.

It’s part of a growing tradition of college football games being played outside the United States. This past season, Iowa State and Kansas State opened the season in Ireland on Aug. 23. It marked the fourth straight year that a game had been played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin dating back to 2022 when Northwestern met Nebraska there.

Prior to that, there were several other instances of games being played abroad. Since 1977, regular season contests have occurred in Austrailia, Bermuda, Germany, Ireland, Italy an the United Kingdom.

But NC State and and Virginia will be the first college football teams to play a game in Brazil. The country has already hosted two NFL games at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, with three more contests scheduled to occur in Rio de Janeiro over the next five years starting in 2026.

This year, the Cavaliers are in the midst of one of the best seasons in program history. Currently sitting at 9-2, they have a chance to reach 10 wins for just the second time ever. They’re also still in contention to reach the ACC Championships Game and, if they win that, the College Football Playoff.

NC State, meanwhile, is in the middle of a 5-5 year and still looking to obtain bowl eligibility. But regardless of what happens this season, both teams have to be looking forward to the chance to visit Brazil next year in what should be an exciting matchup.