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North Carolina Faces Virginia Sunday for the 2026 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship

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22 hours ago

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North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer players in white warmup tops laughing together on the field before a match at Dorrance Field

North Carolina chases a record 23rd ACC tournament title and Virginia chases its first since 2012 when the Tar Heels and Cavaliers meet Sunday at noon ET in Cary on ESPNU.

Second-seeded North Carolina and fifth-seeded Virginia will play for the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship Sunday at noon ET from First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The Tar Heels and Cavaliers will meet in the title match for the fifth time, with previous matchups in 1990, 2004, 2005 and 2019. North Carolina is 3-1 in those matchups, with UVA’s lone win coming in 2004. It will also be the first time since a No. 2 seed has faced a No. 5 seed in the final since 2012, when fifth-seeded Virginia defeated second-seeded Maryland, 4-0. That season was the last time the Cavaliers have won the ACC title.

UNC is in the ACC Championship final for the 30th time and seeks its record 23rd tournament title. The Tar Heels have dropped their last three final appearances (2020, 2022 and 2024) and have not won the ACC crown since defeating Virginia in the 2019 title match. UNC looks to become the first No. 2 seed since Florida State in 2022 to win the women’s soccer championship.

Virginia returns to the ACC title match for the first time since 2021, having won the championship twice (2004 and 2012). The Cavaliers have not allowed a goal in their last four matches and five of their last six contests. It marks the first time a team has advanced to the title match from the first round without allowing a goal since 2020.

Sunday’s final will be broadcast live on ESPNU at noon ET. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on game day and are available online only; no walk-up sales will be available.

2026 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship

First Round | Sunday, Nov. 8 – Campus Sites

#6 Duke 5, at #3 Wake Forest 4 (OT)
#5 Virginia 3, at #4 Florida State 0

Semifinals | Thursday, Nov. 12 – First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, N.C.)

#5 Virginia 1, #1 Notre Dame 0
#2 North Carolina 1, #6 Duke 0

Final | Sunday, Nov. 15 – First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, N.C.)

#2 North Carolina vs. #5 Virginia | Noon | ESPNU
All times Eastern

Noting ACC Women’s Soccer

• The 40th season of ACC Women’s Soccer got underway on Wednesday, August 12, while the 39th Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship concludes Sunday, November 15, with the championship final from First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.

• The ACC has seven teams in the latest IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Poll, the most of any conference.

• The poll includes No. 2 North Carolina, No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 6 Wake Forest, No. 10 Virginia, No. 12 Duke, No. 16 Florida State and No. 16 Stanford (tie). Clemson and Virginia Tech are receiving votes.

• The ACC has eight teams ranked among the top 30 in the RPI, also the most of any conference.

• The RPI top 30 includes No. 1 North Carolina, No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 11 Virginia, No. 13 Duke, No. 15 Stanford, No. 28 Florida State and No. 29 Clemson.

• Four ACC teams were named to the initial NCAA Women’s Soccer Committee Top 16, announced on Monday, October 26: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Wake Forest, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 11 Stanford.

• ACC teams have combined for 86 non-conference wins and a .801 winning percentage, both of which lead the nation.

• A total of 12 ACC standouts were named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Mid-Season Watch List, the most among all conferences. The next-closest conference had six.

• Florida State earned the ACC’s 27th national championship (24th since the ACC began sponsoring women’s soccer) a season ago, bringing the total to 33 national championships among current ACC institutions. No school outside the ACC has won more than two championships.

• The Seminoles defeated Stanford, 1-0, in the 2025 national championship match, marking the second straight year that two ACC teams met for the national title and the third consecutive championship match featuring current ACC members.

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ACC Women’s Soccer Championship Opens Sunday With Duke At Wake Forest And Virginia At Florida State
Bella Devey Named ACC Offensive Player of the Year as the League Unveils Its 2026 Women’s Soccer Awards

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North Carolina and SMU Meet Sunday for the 2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship

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23 hours ago

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November 14, 2026

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North Carolina forward Joschi Schelb holding a soccer ball overhead while celebrating with Tar Heel teammates at night under stadium lights

The ACC men’s soccer title comes down to one match in Cary, with top seed SMU chasing a repeat championship and No. 7 seed North Carolina chasing its first league title since 2011.

The 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Championship will be decided on Sunday, November 15, as No. 1 seed SMU plays No. 7 seed North Carolina at 4 p.m. ET at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. ESPNU has the television broadcast. Single-game tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on gameday. Tickets only are available online and no walk-up sales will be available. SMU and UNC did not play in the regular season. North Carolina is aiming for its fifth ACC title and its first since 2011. The Mustangs are looking to become the ACC’s first repeat champion since Wake Forest in 2016 and 2017.

2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship Schedule

First Round | Wednesday, November 4 at Campus Sites

No. 12 Stanford 2, at No. 5 Louisville 1
at No. 3 Wake Forest 1, No. 14 Boston College 1 (2OT; WF 6-5 PK)
No. 11 NC State 2, at No. 6 Virginia Tech 1
at No. 7 North Carolina 1, No. 10 California 1 (2OT; UNC 4-3 PK)
at No. 2 Clemson 2, No. 15 Duke 1
No. 13 Syracuse 1, at No. 4 Pitt 1 (SU 7-6 PK)
No. 9 Virginia 2, at No. 8 Notre Dame 2 (UVA 5-4 PK)
No. 1 SMU – bye

Quarterfinals | Sunday, November 8 at Campus Sites

No. 7 North Carolina 3, at No. 2 Clemson 2 (2OT)
No. 11 NC State 1, at No. 3 Wake Forest 0 (OT)
at No. 1 SMU 6, No. 9 Virginia 0
No. 13 Syracuse 2, at No. 12 Stanford 1 (2OT)

Semifinals | Thursday, November 12 at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, N.C.

No. 7 North Carolina 1, No. 11 NC State 0
No. 1 SMU 3, No. 13 Syracuse 0

Final | Sunday, November 15 at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.

No. 7 North Carolina vs. No. 1 SMU | 4 p.m. | ESPNU
All times Eastern

Noting ACC Men’s Soccer

• Eleven of the tournament’s first 13 games were decided by either a one-goal margin or penalty kicks.

• A tournament-record seven games (out of 13) have gone to overtime. The previous tourney record was four.

• The tournament 1-seed has only won the event once since 2014 (Wake Forest, 2017). The only 7-seeds to ever win the event were Syracuse in 2015 and SMU in 2025.

• SMU is the reigning tournament champion and is aiming to become the first repeat champ since Wake Forest pulled off the feat in 2016 and 2017.

• Among current ACC programs, Clemson and Virginia lead with 16 ACC Championships apiece. UVA has captured a league-best 11 tournament titles, while Clemson has won five.

• SMU earned the ACC regular-season title and a No. 1 ACC Tournament seed, both for the first time.

• Six ACC teams are ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. That is second most of any league: SMU (1), Clemson (5), North Carolina (12), Louisville (13), Wake Forest (20) and Pitt (21).

• ACC teams have been ranked No. 1 nationally in 10 of 12 polls this season (SMU 6, Stanford 4).

• In the latest NCAA RPI, released Saturday, eight ACC teams rank among the top 25: No. 2 SMU, No. 3 Clemson, No. 8 Pitt, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 13 Louisville and No. 18 Stanford, No. 23 Wake Forest and No. 24 NC State. That is most of any conference.

• 11 ACC teams stand among the RPI top 40, while all 15 rank among the top 60.

• SMU (13-0-3) is the only team nationally that has yet to lose a match this season.

• SMU earned four season awards as part of the 2026 All-ACC Team announcement on Wednesday. Five Mustangs earned First-Team All-ACC honors, most by any team since Wake Forest in 2008.

• ACC teams finished 78-20-18 (.750) against non-conference competition this season. The winning percentage and total number of wins are the best of any conference.

• UNC’s Joschi Schelb leads the ACC and ranks second nationally this season in goals with 17, while Clemson’s Ransford Gyan is fourth nationally with 14 goals.

• ACC teams have won 20 NCAA men’s soccer championships, with 11 since 2001, including three of the last five (Clemson 2021, Syracuse 2022, Clemson 2023).

Read Next

SMU, North Carolina, NC State and Syracuse Set for ACC Men’s Soccer Semifinals Thursday in Cary
SMU Takes Top Seed as 2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship Opens Wednesday With Seven First-Round Matches
Joschi Schelb Named ACC Offensive Player of the Year as SMU Headlines the 2026 Men’s Soccer All-ACC Team

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