SouthernWorldwide.com – A highly anticipated college football game between NC State and Virginia, originally slated to make history as the first college football match played in South America, has been relocated back to the United States.
The game will now take place on the home field of the Virginia Cavaliers. This significant change comes after organizers concluded that the event could not proceed as planned in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, a mere three months before the NC State Wolfpack and the Virginia Cavaliers were scheduled to kick off their season on foreign soil. This marks a substantial alteration to the initial plans for a groundbreaking international sporting event.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) issued a statement confirming the relocation. The decision followed an “extensive review with operational partners and international stakeholders.” Athlete Advantage, the event organizer, recently informed the league and both universities that the event could no longer be held in Brazil as originally conceived.
The game was scheduled for August 29th, falling within Week 0 of the college football season. Discussions are reportedly underway with the league’s television partner, ESPN, and the NCAA to ensure the game remains on its designated date, preserving the intended season opener for both teams.
This matchup was initially part of a home-and-home non-conference series agreed upon by both NC State and Virginia. These games were not intended to count towards ACC standings, as they were added outside the conference’s standard scheduling model. The ACC has seen significant realignment in recent years, leading to less frequent matchups between long-standing conference members from neighboring states.
NC State emerged victorious in the first game of this home-and-home series last year. The game in Rio was originally intended to replace Virginia’s scheduled home game in Charlottesville. This adjustment was part of the ACC’s transition to a nine-game conference schedule. Now, the game will be held at Scott Stadium, offering a more familiar and traditional college football atmosphere.
Fans who had purchased tickets or travel packages for the event through the official College Football Brasil website will be issued full refunds. Organizers are working to facilitate this process for all affected patrons.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
