CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference cross country season will begin on Friday, August 29, with 11 teams in action. Over the first week of the season, a total of 14 ACC teams will compete in a variety of meets.
NC State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the ACC Women’s Cross Country championship, by a vote of the league’s 18 head coaches. The Wolfpack received 12 of the possible 18 first-place votes, earning a league-best 308 total points. Notre Dame received the final six first-place votes, finishing with 301 points and a second-place finish in the poll. Stanford (289 points), North Carolina (267), and Virginia (254) rounded out the top-five of the annual poll.
Reigning ACC champion Wake Forest was selected as the men’s cross country preseason favorite, receiving 15 of the 17 possible first-place votes to finish with 285 points. Virginia finished second in the poll with 258 points, also receiving one first-place vote. Stanford was predicted to finish third with 256 points, while North Carolina and Notre Dame tied for fourth place at 226 points apiece. The Fighting Irish also received the final first place vote ahead of the season.
The ACC leads the nation in both the men’s and women’s USTFCCCA preseason coaches’ polls. Nine women’s teams from the ACC appear in the organization’s top 30, led by No. 3 NC State. The Wolfpack was followed by No. 6 Stanford, No. 13 North Carolina, No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 20 Virginia, No. 26 Boston College, No. 27 Florida State, No. 29 Syracuse and No. 30 Wake Forest.
In the USTFCCCA men’s preseason poll, Virginia and Stanford begin the season in a tie for sixth place to lead the ACC. The Cavaliers and Cardinal are followed by Notre Dame at No. 8, Wake Forest at No. 10, Syracuse at No. 12 and North Carolina at No. 18.
Noting ACC Cross Country
- The ACC has a total of 15 ranked teams (nine women and six men), which is six more than any other conference. The ACC also has the most ranked teams in both genders.
- Preseason favorite Wake Forest won its second ACC Men’s Cross Country Championship in three years in 2024. The Demon Deacons earned 15 of the 17 possible first-place votes in the preseason poll.
- Despite being picked as the ACC preseason favorite, the Wake Forest men are the fourth-highest ranked ACC team nationally, following Stanford, Notre Dame, and Virginia.
- In 2024, Notre Dame won its first-ever ACC Women’s Cross Country Championship. The Fighting Irish were picked second in the ACC preseason poll for 2025.
- The ACC earned 15 USTFCCCA All-America honors (eight women, seven men) at the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships, finishing in the top 40 individually.
ACC Cross Country Weekly Schedule
Friday, August 29
California at USF Invitational (San Francisco, Calif.)
Clemson at Eye Opener (Spartanburg, S.C.)
Florida State at Florida Intercollegiate Cross Country Invitational (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Georgia Tech at Kennesaw State Invitational (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Miami at FAU Invitational (Boca Raton, Fla.)
North Carolina at Charlotte Opener (Charlotte, N.C.)
Notre Dame at Winrow Valparaiso Open (Valparaiso, Ind.)
Pitt at Panther Opener (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
SMU at Cross Country at the Seashore (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Stanford at USF Invitational (San Francisco, Calif.)
Wake Forest vs. UNC Greensboro (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Saturday, August 30
Virginia at Spider Alumni Open (Richmond, Va.)
Syracuse at Harry Lang Invitational (Hamilton, N.Y.)
Tuesday, September 2
Duke vs. North Carolina A&T/North Carolina Central (Durham, N.C.)