CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference gears up for an action-packed Saturday, September 20, highlighted by conference showdowns, historic first-time meetings, and heated in-state rivalries.

All eyes will be on Coral Gables, where ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and ACC Network’s ACC Huddle go live ahead of the primetime clash between Miami and Florida—one of college football’s biggest games of the week.

Six ACC teams enter Week 4 unbeaten, and all will take the field this weekend.

The conference slate features three marquee league matchups: NC State makes the short trip to face rival Duke in a key divisional battle, Clemson hosts Syracuse, and Stanford heads to Virginia for the Cavaliers’ ACC opener.

Elsewhere, four first-time meetings add intrigue, as Florida State plays host to Kent State, North Carolina will travel to UCF, Louisville will take on Bowling Green and Stanford will face off with Virginia.

Rivalries take center stage with added intensity. NC State and Duke meet for the 86th time, Miami and Florida will add another chapter to the Sunshine State rivalry and SMU battles TCU in the storied Battle for the Iron Skillet.
 
Week 4 - ACC Football Schedule
(all times Eastern Time)
 
Saturday, September 20
Syracuse at Clemson | Noon | ESPN
Series: Clemson leads series, 10-2-0
Last meeting: Clemson, 31-14 (2023)
 
SMU at TCU | Noon | ESPN2
Series: TCU leads series, 53-43-7
Last meeting: SMU, 66-42 (2024)

Bowling Green at Louisville | Noon | ACCN
Series: First Meeting
 
Wofford at Virginia Tech | Noon | ACCNX
Series: Virginia Tech leads series, 1-0-0
Last meeting: Virginia, 27-13 (2023)
 
North Carolina at UCF | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Series: First Meeting
 
Kent State at #7 Florida State | 3:30 p.m. | ACCN
Series: First Meeting
 
NC State at Duke | 4 p.m. | ESPN2
Series: Duke leads series, 43-37-5
Last meeting: Duke, 29-19 (2024)
 
Temple at #18 Georgia Tech | 4:30 p.m. | The CW
Series: Temple leads series, 1-0-0
Last meeting: Temple, 24-2 (2019)
 
Florida at #4 Miami | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Series: Miami leads series, 30-27-0
Last meeting: Miami, 41-17 (2024)
 
Stanford at Virginia | 7:30 p.m. | ACCN
Series: First Meeting
 
California at San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Series: California leads series, 5-4-0
Last meeting: California, 31-10 (2024)
 
 
ACC Football Notes
 
All Eyes on Coral Gables, Canes in Week 4

• ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will be live from the University of Miami as the undefeated Hurricanes host Florida on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
• This is Miami’s 26th GameDay appearance, ninth time as host, and the fourth Miami–Florida matchup selected (2002, 2008, 2019, 2025), and the first in Coral Gables.
• Miami last hosted GameDay on Sept. 26, 2020, against Florida State.
• ACC Huddle will also broadcast live from Coral Gables, adding to the rivalry atmosphere. 

Three’s Company in the Top 10

• With Miami (No. 4/6) and Florida State (No. 7/9) ranked in both the AP and Coaches polls, the ACC is one of only three conferences to have multiple teams ranked in the top 10 of both national top-25 polls in Week 4.

Half Dozen ACC Teams Remain Unbeaten

• Heading into Week 4, six ACC teams are still undefeated on the season, and will all be in action on Saturday, September 20: California (3-0), Georgia Tech (3-0), Miami (3-0), NC State (3-0), Florida State (2-0) and Louisville (2-0).

ACC and ESPN/ACCN Enhanced Instant Replay Transparency

• Week 4 of the ACC Football season will see the ACC’s enhanced instant replay transparency once again, this time during the first-ever matchup between Stanford and Virginia at 7:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
• First-of-its-kind collaboration modernizing the fan experience.
• Fans will hear real-time officiating deliberations on ESPN/ESPN2’s Friday night games and ACCN primetime Saturdays.
• ACC is the only league providing this level of access, setting a new standard for college football

ACC Continues Partnership with College Football Playoff Foundation

• The ACC will again partner with the College Football Playoff Foundation for Extra Yard for Teachers Week - September 13-20.
• Includes “Big Day for Teachers” on September 16 and the distribution of grant funds to support teachers in Charlotte.
• For the third straight year, the ACC will work with a Charlotte-Mecklenburg school on a space remodel. This year, for the first time, the ACC will undertake two classroom makeovers.
• Since the partnership began, over $1.5M has been provided to support teachers in the ACC footprint. 

ACC with Multiple Top-10 Wins

• The ACC is one of just two conferences with multiple top-10 victories so far this season: Florida State over No. 8 Alabama (August 30) and Miami over No. 6. Notre Dame (August 31).

 
Strongest Non-Conference Schedule

• The ACC has the highest strength of schedule among all conferences at 49.52. (Sport Source Analytics)
• Through the first three weeks of the season, ACC teams have played 14 non-conference games against peer Power 4 opponents and Notre Dame – the most of any conference.
• ACC teams are scheduled to play 26 games against peer Power 4 Conference opponents and Notre Dame in 2025, the most of any conference by at least eight games – ACC – 26; SEC – 18; Big 12 – 14; Big Ten – 12.
• ACC teams have played eight games versus top-25 ranked opponents through Week 3, the second-most among all conferences.

 
ACC is Again the Conference of Quarterbacks

• The ACC has seven quarterbacks that rank among the nation’s passing leaders this season, with all averaging over 260.0 passing yards per game, the most of any conference.
• Quarterbacks in the ACC have recorded a total of 12 300-yard passing games this season, the most of all conferences.
• The ACC features nine of the top 30 quarterback transfers heading into the 2025 season and has seen a strong influx of talent at the position.
• The ACC had 13 quarterbacks named to the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List – no other conference had more.
• The ACC also had seven quarterbacks named to the 2025 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List.

 
ACC is Loaded with Preeminent Players

• Three of the NCAA’s top four passing leaders play in the ACC: Steve Angeli, Syracuse (1st, 1,072 yards), Darian Mensah, Duke (3rd, 1,036 yards) and Dylan Lonergan, Boston College (4th, 991 yards).
• Boston College wide receiver Lewis Bond leads the nation in both receptions per game (9.7) and total receptions (29).
• Fourteen ACC players have already rushed for 100+ yards in a game this season. Four players have done it twice – Hollywood Smothers (NC State), Micah Ford (Stanford), Isaac Brown (Louisville) and Haynes King (Georgia Tech).
• Twelve different ACC players have posted 100-yard receiving games this season, with Clemson’s Bryant Wesco Jr. and SMU’s Romello Brinson each accomplishing the feat twice.
• The nation’s top two sack leaders hail from the ACC: Clev Lubin, Louisville (1st, 1.75 sacks per game) and Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke (2nd, 1.67 sacks per game).
• California defensive back Hezekiah Masses leads the nation in passes defended (9), passes defended per game (3.0) and interceptions (3).

ACC x NFL

• No conference blends college football and NFL experience quite like the ACC in 2025, with three former NFL head coaches now leading programs: Bill O’Brien (Boston College), Bill Belichick (North Carolina) and Frank Reich (Stanford), the most of any conference.
• Belichick (six Super Bowl wins) and Reich (one) are the only two college football head coaches who have also won a Super Bowl as either head coach or coordinator in the NFL.
• Several ACC programs also feature General Managers with deep NFL ties, including Ron Rivera (Cal), John Garrett (Duke), Michael Lombardi (North Carolina) and Andrew Luck (Stanford), along with a growing number of former NFL stars contributing across coaching staffs and player development roles.