CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference, in conjunction with ESPN and the Southeastern Conference, announced that Louisville’s 2026 season opener versus Ole Miss in the first-ever Music City Kickoff will kick off on Sunday, September 6, from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
For the sixth consecutive year, the ACC will feature five straight days of football over Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 3-7), setting the stage for an exciting start to the 2026 season.
“The ACC continues to set the standard nationally by prioritizing Week 1 with five consecutive days of ACC Football over Labor Day weekend,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “In 2026, our programs will once again compete against the strongest non-conference schedule in the country. The ACC remains committed to embracing strength of schedule and ensuring our student-athletes are showcased on the largest stage.”
In total, 14 ACC programs will take the field in Week 1, highlighted by two conference matchups. Miami opens league play on the road at Stanford on Friday, September 4, before SMU and Florida State close the weekend on Labor Day Monday, September 7. The game marks the 17th consecutive year the ACC has played on Labor Day (excluding 2020) and the 20th overall Labor Day appearance since Florida State and Miami met in the inaugural Monday night game in 2005.
The ACC boasts the most Power Four non-conference games in Week 1, totaling six marquee matchups. Alongside Louisville facing Ole Miss in Nashville, other premier Power Four non-conference contests include Colorado at Georgia Tech, Clemson at LSU and Boston College at Cincinnati.
The season will culminate with the 2026 ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 5, at noon ET on ABC from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Fans are encouraged to sign up for the ACC Football Championship Game mailing list to be among the first to receive information on ticket offers, on-sale dates and pricing. Click here for more information.
The ACC, in conjunction with its television partners ESPN, ACC Network and The CW, will announce kickoff times for the first three weeks of the season in late May. One game in each of Weeks 8, 9, and 10 will be moved to Friday, with those additional scheduling details to be announced later.
The full 2026 ACC Football schedule was announced on Monday, January 26, featuring a nationally prominent slate of conference and non-conference matchups throughout the season. Click here for full release.
About The ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference, in its 73rd year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league's founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).