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Football

Miami Picked as Preseason Favorite to Win 2026 ACC Football Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Miami has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, according to the media's predicted order of finish following a vote of more than 185 media members credentialed for this year’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
The Hurricanes received 3,159 points in the annual preseason poll to earn the top spot, followed by SMU (2,794 points), Louisville (2,569) and Clemson (2,520). Georgia Tech rounded out the top five with 2,006 points.
 
In the media voting, Miami received 165 first-place votes. Clemson received seven first-place votes, followed by SMU with six, Louisville with four, Florida State with three and Georgia Tech with two. Stanford also received a first-place vote.
 
Virginia (1,981), NC State (1,964), Virginia Tech (1,962), Pitt (1,740) and Duke (1,452) completed the top 10 in one of the closest preseason polls in recent conference history, with just 19 points separating sixth through eighth place.
 
Florida State (1,439) was picked 11th, followed by California (1,392), Wake Forest (1,103), Syracuse (878), North Carolina (831), Boston College (491) and Stanford (483).
 
The ACC enters the 2026 season with one of the nation's deepest and most competitive conferences, as teams begin the league's transition to a nine-game conference schedule and compete for a berth in the 2026 ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 5, at noon ET on ABC.

2026 ACC Football Predicted Order of Finish (Media Vote)
 
Rank Team Points
1. Miami (165) 3159
2. SMU (6) 2794
3. Louisville (4) 2569
4. Clemson (7) 2520
5. Georgia Tech (2) 2006
6. Virginia 1981
7. NC State 1964
8. Virginia Tech 1962
9. Pitt 1740
10. Duke 1452
11. Florida State (3) 1439
12. California 1392
13. Wake Forest 1103
14. Syracuse 878
15. North Carolina 831
16. Boston College 491
17. Stanford (1) 483
 
First-place votes in parentheses
188 media voters
 

ACC Football Notes

Strongest Non-Conference Schedule Once Again in 2026
  • ACC teams are scheduled to play 25 non-conference games against P4 + ND — most of any conference.
  • Includes 9 games vs. SEC, 5 vs. B1G, 5 vs. Big 12 and 6 vs. Notre Dame.
  • Two-thirds of the ACC’s non-conference games are against P4 or bowl-eligible teams.
  • All 17 ACC teams will play at least 10 games vs. P4 + ND.
  • 3 of the 5 FBS teams playing 11 or more games vs. P4 + ND hail from the ACC.
  • 12 non-conference games against teams ranked in ESPN’s 2026 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
  • 12 games against teams ranked in the final 2025 College Football Playoff rankings and AP Top 25.
  • 29 games, including 23 teams, that received a 2025 bowl invitation.
 
ACC Again Owns Labor Day Weekend with “Five Days of ACC Football”
  • 14 teams will compete in 12 games across 5 days (Thursday, September 3 – Monday, September 7).
  • SMU at Florida State on Labor Day Monday marks the ACC’s 17th consecutive year playing on Labor Day (excluding 2020) and 20th since 2005.
  • ACC leads all conferences in Week 1 P4 non-conference games (5 total).
 
ACC Football Fridays
  • During the 2026 season, the ACC is playing a record 15 games on Fridays.
  • Over the first 6 weeks, ACC teams will appear in 9 Friday games, which includes 4 Friday contests in Week 2.
  • The league will continue to take center stage in October and November, with:
    • At least one Friday night game will be played in each of Weeks 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13.
    • Thanksgiving week concludes with Florida at Florida State on Black Friday.
 
Strength and Depth of ACC Football
  • Over the last 3 seasons, the ACC has had 11 or more bowl-eligible teams — the longest streak of any conference.
  • Last year, the ACC had 7 teams with 9 or more wins on the season — the most in a single season in ACC history.
  • 9 ACC teams had 8 or more wins in 2025 — tied for the most in FBS and the most in a single season in ACC history.
  • In 2024, 4 teams finished the season with 10 or more wins — the first time in ACC history.
 
2026 ACC Football Championship Game
  • Saturday, December 5, at noon ET on ABC, at Bank of America Stadium.
  • 2026 marks the 14th consecutive year, and the 18th time overall, that the game will air on ABC.
  • ACC Title games have been televised on either ABC or ESPN every year since their inaugural season in 2005.
  • The ACC’s top two teams will be showcased in the only P4 conference championship game at noon.