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A college football showdown originally set for Brazil has been relocated.
The Week 0 clash between NC State and Virginia, initially slated for Rio de Janeiro, will now take place in Charlottesville, Virginia. This decision comes after thorough discussions with operational partners and international stakeholders.
“Athlete Advantage, the event organizer, communicated to the ACC and the schools involved that hosting the game was no longer viable,” NC State announced in a press release.
While the exact schedule for the game at its new Virginia location remains undecided, efforts are underway with the NCAA and ESPN to maintain the original date of August 29. Alternatively, the game may be postponed to Week 1. The specific reasons rendering the Brazilian venue impractical were not disclosed.
“Those who bought tickets or travel packages via the official College Football Brasil website will receive refunds. Refunds are being managed by relevant ticketing, payment processing, and event partners,” continued the press release. “Information regarding ticket availability for the match at Scott Stadium will be released soon.”
The matchup was originally part of a home-and-home agreement between the two teams in 2024, but was moved to an ACC matchup after the conference adopted a nine-game conference schedule.
College Football Brazil, as the game was branded, was set to be the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game played in South America.
It was set up by Athlete Advantage and Brasil Sports Business and had full support from the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, and the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, at its creation.
Athlete Advantage is a sports marketing and NIL management company that works with both universities and athletes. They have never successfully worked on an international football game
Despite the collapse of the Brazil game, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Athlete Advantage plans to continue bringing football to a global audience in 2027, 2028, and 2029. Games in Mexico City and Italy are possible.
Virginia and NC State have met 61 times since the first meeting in 1904, with the Wolfpack leading the series 38-1-22. NC State has won each of the last four matchups.
The Cavaliers are coming off a rebound year that included a trip to the ACC Championship and a Taxslayer Gator Bowl victory.
NC State went 8-5, including a win over Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl