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CFP, Bowl Season Starts this Weekend for the ACC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference’s postseason slate begins this weekend, highlighted by No. 10 Miami facing No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff on Saturday, December 20, and NC State’s appearance in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, December 19.
 
The Hurricanes and Wolfpack are two of 11 ACC teams set to compete in postseason play, marking another strong showing for the conference during bowl season.
 

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
NC State vs. Memphis | 2:30 p.m. ET
Series: First-ever meeting
TV: ESPN
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 117 / SiriusXM 201 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App:  SiriusXM 371 / SiriusXM 963
 
NC State will close its season in postseason play with a matchup against Memphis in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, December 19, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The appearance marks the Wolfpack’s 37th bowl game in program history, where they hold an all-time record of 17-18-1.
 
The Wolfpack are bowl-bound for the fourth time in the last five seasons and the ninth time under head coach Dave Doeren, continuing a stretch of consistent postseason success. NC State will be making its first-ever appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl and will face Memphis for the first time in program history.
 
NC State’s offense has been paced by quarterback CJ Bailey, who has thrown for 2,884 yards and 23 touchdowns, along with running back Hollywood Smothers, who has totaled 939 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Defensively, All-American linebacker Caden Fordham anchors the unit and leads the ACC with 10.8 tackles per game. The Wolfpack enters the matchup with a 7-2 all-time record against teams from the American Conference.
 
 
2025 College Football Playoff – First Round
#10 Miami at #7 Texas A&M | Noon ET
Series: Miami leads series, 3-2-0
Last Meeting: Miami, 48-33 (2023)
TV: ABC and ESPN
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 80 / SiriusXM 82
SiriusXM App:  SiriusXM 80 / SiriusXM 82
 
Miami will make its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff after finishing No. 10 in the final CFP rankings. The Hurricanes spent the entire season ranked in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA USA Today Coaches Poll, climbing as high as No. 2, and recorded four wins over ranked opponents while posting eight victories by 14 points or more.
 
Miami ranks among the FBS top 30 in numerous offensive categories, including scoring, total offense, passing offense, red-zone efficiency, and third-down conversion rate, while also ranking in the top 30 defensively in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, tackles for loss, and sacks.
 
The Hurricanes enter postseason play with a 20–26 all-time bowl record and hold a 3–2 advantage in the all-time series against Texas A&M, including a 48–33 home victory in the teams’ most recent meeting in 2023.
 
 
Noting ACC Football
 
ACC Lands Three Teams in CFP Top 25
  • The ACC had three teams ranked in the final College Football Playoff rankings (December 7): Miami (No. 10), Virginia (No. 19) and Georgia Tech (No. 22).
  • The Miami Hurricanes were selected to the 2025 College Football Playoff, receiving an at-large bid to secure the team’s first-ever trip to the CFP.
  • The Hurricanes are seeded 10th in the CFP field and will travel to College Station, Texas, to face seventh-seeded Texas A&M on Saturday, December 20, at noon ET on ABC.
 
Eleven ACC Teams Playing in the Postseason
  • The ACC will have 11 different teams play in a bowl game or in the CFP Playoffs for the third straight season. That is the longest streak by any FBS conference all-time. (Stats Perform)
  • This marks the eighth time since 2014-15 that the league has reached double-digit bowl-eligible teams.
  • The 11 bowl teams are the second-most among all conferences: Big Ten – 12; ACC – 11; SEC – 10; Big 12 – 10; Sun Belt – 9; American – 8; Mountain West – 7; CUSA – 7; MAC – 5.
  • Excluding 2020, the ACC has had multiple teams win a bowl game in every season since 2001. The only other FBS conference to do that in the same time frame is the SEC. (Stats Perform)
 
 ACC is the Deepest Power 4 Conference
  • The ACC has proven it is the deepest Power 4 conference this season:
    • 6 teams at 2 losses or fewer in conference play, the second-most among all FBS conferences.
    • 7 conference games have gone into overtime, the most by any conference since 2000.
      • The ACC Championship Game was decided in overtime for the first time in the 21-year history of the title game.
    • In conference play, road teams posted a 35-33 record in the ACC.
  • The ACC has the strongest non-conference strength of schedule among all Power 4 conferences:
    • Played 26 non-conference games versus P4 teams and Notre Dame to date, the most of any conference: ACC - 26; SEC – 18; Big 12 - 14; Big Ten - 12.
  • The ACC has won plenty of high-profile games this year:     
    • 6 different ACC teams have defeated an AP Top 10 opponent this season.
    • 9 different ACC teams have defeated a Top 15 opponent this year.
    • 12 different ACC teams have defeated an AP Top 25 opponent this season. 

ACC and ESPN/ACCN Enhanced Instant Replay Transparency
  • During the 2025 season, the ACC provided fans with real-time access to officiating deliberations in 25 games across ESPN, ESPN2, and the ACC Network, featuring the first-of-its-kind ACC Enhanced Instant Replay Transparency.
  • Viewers heard live replay discussions among the referee, the in-stadium instant replay official, and the ACC’s Collaborative Instant Replay Official based in the ACC’s Game Day Operations Center in Charlotte.
  • The initiative represented a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the ACC and ESPN, enhancing transparency and modernizing the fan viewing experience.
  • The ACC was the only conference to offer this level of replay audio access during select games in 2024 and the start of the 2025 season, establishing a new standard for transparency in college football officiating.
 
ACC Football Fridays
  • The ACC owned Friday nights during the 2025 regular season, setting a league record with 12 Friday games featuring ACC teams.
  • 12 of the ACC’s 17 football programs appeared in at least one primetime Friday night matchup, underscoring the league’s national presence to open each weekend.
  • ACC Friday night games delivered marquee matchups, ranked opponents, multiple overtime contests, and nationally televised showcase games throughout the season.