Virginia’s opener against NC State has plenty of eyes on it, and for good reason. Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup in Charlottesville is more than just a rematch of last September’s 35-31 Wolfpack win. This time, it doubles as the ACC opener for both teams.
That changes the feel of it. The game now carries conference weight, and Virginia has not opened against an ACC opponent since 2019 at Pittsburgh, pandemic year excluded.
The preseason conversation around the matchup has centered on what a win could mean in the league race, especially with both teams missing some of the conference’s biggest preseason headliners. Virginia avoids Miami and Clemson, while NC State also skips SMU, the No. 2 team in the preseason poll.
That’s part of why this one is getting framed as an early path-setter for the ACC Championship Game.
The preview circuit has been busy, too. The Sabre’s Preston Willett joined “Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast” for a long look at the Hoos with host Joey Weaver.
Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain broke down the Virginia-NC State game on the Gramlich & Mac Lain show, with Taylor Tannebaum also on the episode. Mac Lain, Tannebaum, Jimbo Fisher, and Eddie Royal will be part of the ACC Huddle pregame show in Charlottesville on Saturday.
CBS Sports’ Cover 3 Podcast also weighed in with an episode titled “Who Wins & Why?” Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman of On3 called it a “very fun” early game on Andy & Ari, and The Ruffino & Joe Show put out an episode titled “UVA vs NC State Preview - Why UVA will win”.
There’s been plenty of NC State chatter, too. 99.9 The Fan has discussed a possible 10-win season and a “massive opportunity” in two videos.
Locked On Wolfpack has asked “Can UVA replicate a special year?” and “Can NC State match their experience?”
Pack Power also brought on UVA beat reporter Jacquie Franciulli to preview the game. On the QB Spotlight channel, hosted by former Millsaps College quarterback Steven Hamner, the focus turns to the quarterbacks in both the UNC-TCU and UVA-NC State games, with talk about Beau Pribula and C.J.
Bailey.
Outside football, Thomas Q. Jones is getting attention in a new docuseries on the Ceremony YouTube channel called “Your Body Is A Business”. Jones, who played 12 years in the NFL and rushed for more than 10,000 yards before moving into acting, is featured in a first episode that traces his path from Big Stone Gap’s coal mining country to UVA and then the NFL.
Virginia basketball is also starting to creep onto the calendar. The Hoos will face Vanderbilt in Charleston, S.C. on Sunday, Sept. 27 in an outdoor preseason game at Credit One Stadium.
UVA is showing up on a lot of preseason top 25 lists, thanks in part to returning contributors Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis, Johann Grünloh, and Chance Mallory. Ryan Odom also sat down with CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish for an interview this week.
And in the water, Virginia’s reach keeps stretching. Kate Douglass and Sara Curtis set world records at recent meets, another reminder of what Todd DeSorbo’s program has become. Over the past few days, the waterlife_med Instagram account has highlighted “The Virginia Effect” in swimming, including those record-setting swims from Douglass and Curtis.
In Other News...
Virginias Pass Rush Faces An Early ACC Test Fans Will Watch
NC States opener against Virginia comes with a little extra edge because the matchup shifted late into a true road game, giving the Cavaliers an early chance to measure themselves against a familiar Atlantic Coast Conference foe. The spotlight will be on how Virginia handles quarterback C.J. Bailey and whether its defense, with Harvey Dyson III as a central figure, can make the Wolfpack work for every yard after an offseason of buildup.
For Virginia, the bigger concern is whether its pass rush can turn the game in its favor early, especially with Matthew Fobbs-White expected to be a disruptive presence off the edge. If the Cavaliers can get heat on Bailey and set the tone up front, they can make a season-opening statement in front of a home crowd, but NC States protection and the rest of the matchup pieces should give this one a sharp edge from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Gets An Early Chance To Prove This Team Is Different
Virginia opens the season with a chance to show whether this group really is built differently, and the matchup does not offer much room for easing in. Tony Elliotts team will face NC State in a setting that immediately tests both the Cavaliers maturity and their ability to handle a familiar ACC hurdle, with a veteran roster and an experienced offensive line giving Virginia a foundation that looked a lot different in recent years.
The Cavaliers believe their depth of experience can help them start on the right foot, especially at home and with a defense that should be a strength. But NC State has been a problem for Virginia, and Elliott still has unfinished business in the matchup, which gives this opener a little extra weight beyond the usual first-game jitters. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Opens With An Orange-Out Stage Hoos Fans Will Love
Virginias home opener has the kind of built-in pageantry that tends to get Hoos fans fired up before the first snap is even played. The Cavaliers are leaning into the season kickoff with a full orange-out feel, highlighted by a Paint the Town Orange pep rally and spirit parade as Charlottesville gets ready for NC States visit. Even the uniform look is part of the buildup, with a sharper-than-usual home-game presentation designed to match the energy around the opener.
The football side of it should be just as intriguing, because both Tony Elliott and Dave Doeren have already pointed to how tight this matchup figures to be. Virginia wants the atmosphere to feel like more than just a backdrop for a September game, and the weeks events are clearly meant to turn the opener into a community-wide moment. With the fanfare running alongside the game prep, the Cavaliers are asking their crowd to help set a tone that could matter once the game settles in. [Read more 🡒]