There is nothing better than a rivalry game on the gridiron each season. In college football, there are bragging rights up for grabs, despite some series being dominated by one team. That is the case when it comes to the Commonwealth Cup between Virginia Tech and Virginia. The Hokies have owned their little brother on the field. You feel bad at times for how dominant the series has been. With that said, let's rank the Top 5 ACC football rivalries.
5. Stanford vs. California
The former Pac-12 schools made the move in 2024 to the ACC and have continued their long-standing matchup. However, it doesn't have much of an ACC feel despite the two teams being located thousands of miles and three time zones away. Regardless, this is a matchup that both fan bases live for each season.
4. North Carolina vs. Duke
There have been some memorable matchups in this series, which UNC has owed. It doesn't bring the same momentum that it does on the basketball court, but with Bill Belichick leading the Tar Heels now, that should spice things up even more. Duke won a classic last season in Chapel Hill, which played a big part in them getting to the ACC Championship Game and beating Virginia in Charlotte.
3. North Carolina vs. North Carolina State
This is a much better rivalry on the football field than it is on the basketball court. North Carolina has dominated the series, but NC State has won the most recent matchup, and the two teams are set up for annual Thanksgiving Weekend battles. As mentioned above, as long as Belichick is at UNC, this should spice things up even more.
2. Florida State vs. Miami
There is no love lost between the Seminoles and Hurricanes. However, things have been getting spicy lately and will continue to do so for two programs going in opposite directions. Miami is looking to get over the hump not only in the ACC, but on a national stage, while FSU is just looking to find a way to stay competitive. Miami looks like they are going to control the series for a while.
1. Virginia Tech vs. Virginia
It's hard to call this a rivalry when it's been dominated by one side in recent decades, but there is still nothing better than a Saturday afternoon/night Thanksgiving Weekend game in either Blacksburg or Charlottesville, which is usually filled with Hokies fans. Virginia won the 2025 matchup; most UVA fans believe the series history started that year and want to ignore the dominance that Virginia Tech has had. With James Franklin on board in Blacksburg, he will quickly continue the Hokies' dominance. How bad are things for Virginia? Brent Pry was perfect against the Cavaliers in the games he coached. Yikes.
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