2026 ACC Kickoff Dates Announced
By: Staff Report February 13, 2026

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference football season will officially start the 2026 season in the Queen City. The 2026 ACC Football Kickoff will return to Charlotte, North Carolina, July 15-17, bringing all 17 ACC football programs to the league’s home city at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown.

Over three days, the ACC Football Kickoff will serve as the league’s premier preseason event, featuring head coaches and student-athletes from across the conference. ACC Network will provide comprehensive coverage throughout the event, including live interviews, press conferences and exclusive behind-the-scenes access as the countdown to kickoff begins. 

Details regarding credentials, media schedules, participating student-athletes and additional logistics will be announced at a later date.

2026 ACC Football Kickoff
Wednesday, July 15
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D.
Florida State
Miami
NC State
Stanford
Virginia

Thursday, July 16
Boston College
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Syracuse
Virginia Tech

Friday, July 17
California
Duke
North Carolina
Pitt
SMU
Wake Forest

Looking Ahead to 2026
The ACC announced its full 2026 football schedule during a two-hour ACC Huddle: 2026 Football Schedule Release special on Monday, January 26, on ACC Network. The first hour of the special was simulcast on ESPN2. (Watch) 

  • 2026 ACC Football Championship Game to Kick Off at Noon ET on ABC (Release) 
  • ACC Football Kicks Off 2026 Season with Four Week 0 Games Across Three Continents (Release) 
  • ACC Headlines College Football’s Labor Day Weekend with Blockbuster Contests (Release) 
  • ACC Football Owns Fridays Again in 2026 with Nation’s Most Compelling Primetime Matchups (Release) 

In transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule, 12 ACC programs will play nine league games and at least one Power Four non-conference opponent in 2026, while the five other ACC programs will play eight league games and at least two Power Four non-conference opponents.

In total, ACC teams are slated to play 25 non-conference games against Power Four opponents – including nine versus the SEC, five against the Big Ten, five against the Big 12, and six against Notre Dame – the most of any conference.

ACC Leading the Way in Postseason Play in 2025
The ACC went 9-5 in postseason play (College Football Playoff and Bowl Season) this year, recording the most postseason wins in a single year for the league overall, matching the nine wins from 2016. (ACC Postseason Schedule) 

  • The ACC’s nine postseason wins and .643 winning percentage were both the second-best among all conferences in this postseason. 
  • The ACC went 7-3 in postseason play against peer Power Four conference opponents, the most such wins of all the Power Four conferences, including going 4-0 versus the SEC. 
  • Highlighted by Miami in the College Football Playoff, 11 ACC teams competed in postseason play (CFP and Bowl Season) this year. It marks the third straight season in which the ACC had 11 or more teams reach postseason play, the longest streak by any FBS conference all-time. (Release) 

Building on a Strong 2025 Season
The ACC proved it was the deepest Power Four conference this season:

  • 9 teams with 8 or more overall wins on the year, tied for the most in all of FBS and the most in a single season in ACC history.
  • 7 teams with 9 or more overall wins on the season, the most in a single season in ACC history.
  • 7 conference games that went into overtime, the most by any conference since 2000.

The ACC had the strongest non-conference strength of schedule among all Power Four conferences throughout the 2025 season:

  • Played 36 non-conference games versus peer Power Four teams and Notre Dame, the most of any conference: ACC – 36; SEC – 27; Big Ten – 22; Big 12 – 21.
  • The ACC recorded 14 wins versus the other three Power Four conferences and Notre Dame overall on the season (postseason included), the most among all Power 4 conferences: ACC – 14; SEC – 13; Big 12 – 12; Big Ten – 12.

The ACC was victorious in several high-profile games this year:

  • 6 different ACC teams defeated a Top 10 opponent this season.
  • 9 different ACC teams defeated a Top 15 opponent this season.
  • 12 different ACC teams defeated a Top 25 opponent this season. 

About The ACC  
The Atlantic Coast Conference, in its 73rd year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league’s founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).