Week 0 didn’t give the ACC a full picture, but it did give us a few early answers - and a couple of jolts.
Virginia set the tone with the league’s clearest statement so far, rolling past NC State 34-8 in a game that looked much tighter on paper than it ended up being. The Cavaliers were favored, but it felt closer to a toss-up than a runaway before kickoff.
Once the game started, though, Virginia took control. Quarterback Beau Pribula was the engine, throwing for more than 100 yards and running for more than 100 yards in a comprehensive win.
North Carolina also grabbed headlines in a way almost nobody saw coming. Bill Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill opened with a 15-10 win over TCU in Ireland, a result that marked a huge change from the way 2025 began for the Tar Heels. That one was enough to earn a major nod, even if the bigger question is whether UNC can build on it once the season gets rolling.
Florida State got into the win column too, beating New Mexico State 34-17, but the performance didn’t exactly scream breakout. Mike Norvell could use a strong year, and while the Seminoles handled business, the showing wasn’t as convincing as it probably needed to be. The fact that last year they opened by beating Alabama and still ended up mediocre hangs over that result.
NC State, meanwhile, had the roughest weekend of the ACC teams that actually took the field. The 34-8 loss to Virginia was the kind of opener that leaves a bad feeling behind it, and it looked like a team that could get a coach fired. That might be too harsh if Virginia turns out to be as good as it looked, but the Wolfpack didn’t do anything to calm that concern.
As for the rest of the league, most teams were still sitting on byes, so the rankings remain mostly a mix of preseason belief and a few early impressions. Miami stays at the top, with SMU right behind it. Louisville checks in at No. 4, followed by Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Duke, Pitt, and Wake Forest.
The lower half of the list has its own early questions. Cal, Syracuse, and Boston College haven’t played yet, while Stanford already has a win but barely held off Hawaii after nearly blowing a 16-point lead.
Here’s how the full ACC stack looks after Week 0:
- Miami (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Friday at Stanford
- SMU (0-0) Last Week: Bye
- Virginia (1-0, 1-0 ACC)
Last Week: Beat NC State 34-8
Next Week: Bye
- Louisville (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Sunday vs.
Ole Miss
- Clemson (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Saturday at LSU
- Georgia Tech (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Thursday vs.
Colorado
- Virginia Tech (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Saturday vs.
VMI
- Duke (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Saturday vs.
Tulane
- Pitt (0-0)
Last Week: Byu
Next Week: Saturday vs.
Miami (OH)
- Wake Forest (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: Thursday vs.
Akron
- North Carolina (1-0)
Last Week: Beat TCU 15-10
Next Week: Bye
- Florida State (1-0)
Last Week: Beat New Mexico State 34-17
Next Week: Monday vs.
SMU
- NC State (0-1, 0-1 ACC) Last Week: Lost to Virginia 34-8
- Cal (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Saturday vs.
UCLA
- Syracuse (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Saturday vs.
New Hampshire
- Boston College (0-0)
Last Week: Bye
Next Week: Saturday at Cincinnati
- Stanford (1-0) They won the game in the end, but Stanford nearly blew a 16-point lead to Hawaii.
In Other News...
Bill Belichicks UNC Debut Revealed Who He Already Trusts Most
North Carolina opened the Bill Belichick era with a win, and the first snap-count look from the season opener offered an early glimpse at which players the new coach already leans on most. On defense, linebacker Derek McDonald and cornerback Jaiden Patterson were on the field for every snap, a sign that Belichick was comfortable keeping trusted veterans in the game when it mattered. The first-game distribution also fit the broader feel around the roster, with the Tar Heels leaning on experience as they settled into a new system.
The offensive line is part of that same picture. North Carolina spent the offseason adding depth and bringing back more experience up front, and it showed in the way the group was used in the opener. For a team trying to build quickly under a coach who has long valued reliability, the early message was clear: the players who know the assignment and can handle the load are going to get the biggest opportunities until further notice. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Edwards UNC Debut Sparked A Quarterback Debate Fans Know Well
Fall camp is barely in the rearview mirror, but the quarterback discussion around North Carolina already has the familiar split between patience and urgency. Miles ONeill, Travis Burgess and Billy Edwards Jr. have each drawn support from different corners of the fan base, and Edwards recent debut only sharpened the conversation by giving supporters and skeptics fresh evidence to work with.
What stood out most was the way Edwards handled the job in difficult conditions, leaning on safe decisions and avoiding the kind of risky throws that can tilt a game the wrong way. ESPNs stat department flagged his contested passes, which only added to the debate over whether he looked like a steady game manager or a quarterback still leaving something on the table, and for Tar Heels fans, thats exactly the kind of argument that can stretch well beyond one afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Sent A Clear Message About Michael Malones First Team
North Carolinas mens basketball program has made a striking financial push ahead of Michael Malones first full roster build, lifting its 2026-2027 roster budget to more than $20 million. That is a major jump from roughly $14 million last season and signals just how aggressively the Tar Heels are backing Malone as he puts his stamp on the program.
Malone has been active with boosters since taking over, and the structure of the budget shows how seriously UNC is approaching the new era. His contract includes $6.75 million in revenue sharing for NIL, with the rest of the money reportedly coming from booster support, a setup that points to a program ready to compete at the highest end of college basketballs spending race. [Read more 🡒]