Sports

Ranking the 10 biggest rivalries in ACC football

Chop Chat · Jul 22, 2026 11:00 · 3 min read

Ranking the 10 biggest rivalries in ACC football — Florida State Seminoles cornerback Deion Sanders (2) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Florida State and Miami are the obvious No. 1 rivalry in the ACC, but there are some underrated great conference rivalries behind it.

On the football field, the ACC is a bit of a strange conference. That’s not just because, after expansion, it has 17 teams, stretches across the country, and doesn’t have all of its teams play the same number of games. It’s also because many of its programs' biggest rivals aren’t in the ACC.

Late in the season for college football’s Rivalry Week, Florida State plays the Sunshine Showdown with Florida, Clemson matches up against South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl, Louisville plays its in-state rival, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech let’s out its Good Old-Fashion Hate with Georgia. Even Pitt’s biggest rivals are West Virginia and Penn State.

Yet, even with hated rivals in the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12, the ACC has some great in-conference rivalries of its own, and they’ll be even better if both sides can get good at the same time.

1. Florida State vs. Miami

Florida State has played Miami more than any other team in program history and barely trails in the 70-game series 37-33. The series peaked in the late 1980s to early 1990s when the two programs were seemingly competing for the National Championship every season. Since then, the two programs have largely failed to sync up their peak years.

2. The Commonwealth Clash: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

Playing for the Commonwealth Cup, Virginia and Virginia Tech have a bit of a lopsided rivalry in recent years, with the Hokies winning 22 of the 25 matchups this century. However, the Cavaliers began the rivalry 8-0 from 1985-1904 and punched back in 2025, with one of the best seasons in recent program history.

With James Franklin leading Virginia Tech and Virginia seemingly on an upward trajectory, this rivalry has added juice.

3. North Carolina vs. NC State

On the hardwood, North Carolina’s other tobacco road rival is the focus of its ire, but on the football field, NC State is UNC’s most hated annual opponent. The rivalry dates back to 1894, with the two programs meeting 115 times. UNC leads the matchup between two charter members of the ACC 68-41 heading into 2026.

4. Cal vs. Stanford

This one is new to the ACC, but it’s an old rivalry, dating back to 1892 when the teams played twice in the same year (a 14-10 Stanford win and a 10-10 tie). The Big Game is the oldest football rivalry in the West and will continue to be played with both institutions making the move to the ACC in 2024.

5. Clemson vs. Florida State

Clemson won the ACC in 1991, its 13th ACC title. Florida State joined the ACC in 1992, and since then, the league has been won by either Clemson or Florida State in 25 out of the 33 years, with nine for the Tigers and 16 for the Noles. In the 2010s, Florida State and Clemson were the clear top dogs in the conference and grew a rivalry that pre-dated Florida State’s arrival in the conference.

The two teams first met in 1970, and the rivalry blossomed when they met as top-10 teams in 1988 and 1989. The two sides split those matchups, which were a precursor to the rivalry to come a few years later.