A college football game taking place in Brazil has been moved.
The Week 0 matchup between NC State and Virginia will move from Rio de Janeiro to Charlottesville, Virginia, after extensive review with operational partners and international stakeholders.
“This change follows communication from [game organizer] Athlete Advantage, which informed the ACC and participating schools that the event could not be conducted,” an NC State press release said.
The new date and time for the now Virginia home game are still to be determined, but both parties are working with the NCAA and ESPN to keep the game on Aug. 29. A move to the Week 1 slate is also possible. It was not made clear what specifically made the game no longer feasible in Brazil.
“Fans who purchased tickets or travel packages for the event through the official College Football Brasil website will receive refunds. Refund administration is being coordinated through applicable ticketing, payment processing, and event partners,” the press release stated. “Further details on tickets for the game at Scott Stadium will be forthcoming.”
The matchup was originally part of a home-and-home agreement between the two teams in 2024, but was moved to an ACC matchup after the conference adopted a nine-game conference schedule.
College Football Brazil, as the game was branded, was set to be the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game played in South America.
It was set up by Athlete Advantage and Brasil Sports Business and had full support from the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, and the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, at its creation.
Athlete Advantage is a sports marketing and NIL management company that works with both universities and athletes. They have never successfully worked on an international football game
Despite the collapse of the Brazil game, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Athlete Advantage plans to continue bringing football to a global audience in 2027, 2028, and 2029. Games in Mexico City and Italy are possible.
Virginia and NC State have met 61 times since the first meeting in 1904, with the Wolfpack leading the series 38-1-22. NC State has won each of the last four matchups.
The Cavaliers are coming off a rebound year that included a trip to the ACC Championship and a Taxslayer Gator Bowl victory.
NC State went 8-5, including a win over Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl
