I get it, that I’m the only person who cares that UVA Athletics gave up a home football game to play in Brazil, and we still don’t know, three months past when they announced the game, how much the program is getting paid to screw its season-ticket holders over.
I asked again, this week, and, no, there is still no updated contract on file for the UVA-NC State game, which will be played as a Week 0 game on Aug. 29 in Nilton Santos Stadium – capacity: 44,661 – in Rio de Janeiro.
ICYMI
I submitted the latest in what is now a series of Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain a copy of the contract for the game, which the ACC and UVA Athletics announced, way back on Dec. 1, had been moved to Brazil.
The answer back from the FOIA office:
“The University of Virginia has no records responsive to your request.”
WTAF?
The backstory here: the two schools signed a contract in 2024 spelling out the details of a home-and-home nonconference series that would include a game in Raleigh in 2025 and a return game in Charlottesville in 2026.
Per the contract, neither school would be paying the other a money guarantee, since the two were set to play each other in their respective home stadiums.
The circumstances have obviously changed with UVA’s home game moving to Brazil.
One, the game is also now an ACC game, and not a nonconference game, which would seem to necessitate something in terms of updated contract language.
Two, UVA Athletics is giving up a home game, which means, money.
A home game at Scott Stadium is worth $1.5 million in ticket sales alone, and a conference home opener could fetch closer to $2 million.
For reference on what I would expect the game in Brazil should bring in, I’d point you to the deal that UVA Athletics struck with the Charlotte Sports Foundation for the two-game series with West Virginia for games in 2026 and 2032.
ICYMI
Both UVA and WVU are being guaranteed $2 million per game, with sellouts leading to payouts of $3.31 million per school per contest, per the details of the contract for the UVA-WVU series, also agreed to in 2024.
You have to expect that both Virginia and NC State are getting money for their trouble of moving their 2026 game to the other side of the world.
We have to hope so, anyway.
I mean, they’re taking a home game away from y’all, as they reminded you throughout the basketball season, with an ad on the big screen during timeouts bragging about it, like any of us will actually be able to make the trip.
Ttravel packages are available at CollegeFootballBrasil.com, with prices starting at $2,495 (single) to $3,295 (double) for the poors, and $3,945 (single) to $4,945 (double) for the Platinum package, which includes a premium hotel with a breakfast buffet, preferred game seating and ground transportation to the game.
For the $2,495, I guess, you’re on your own, in terms of breakfast and also getting to the game.
I’d be careful just getting into a car and assuming it’s your Uber.
Reading the fine print, those prices don’t include airfare – you’ll need to budget another $1,185 to $1,351 per ticket to get there and back.
But hey, we get Norfolk State at home in Week 2., and then after the second neutral-site game down in Charlotte, Delaware comes to Scott Stadium on Sept. 26.
Why anybody would buy season tickets for the 2026 season is beyond me.
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Chris Graham
