# 2026 Virginia Cavaliers football team
The 2026 [Virginia Cavaliers football](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-cavaliers-football) team represents the [University of Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-virginia) in the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It is the fifth season under head coach Tony Elliott, who signed a contract extension in April 2026 keeping him at Virginia through the 2030 season.[1](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/04/08/tony-elliott-agrees-to-contract-extension) The Cavaliers play in the [Atlantic Coast Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-coast-conference) (ACC), which moved to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.[2](https://apnews.com/article/c7d3c5980a052051bf805808e353f24e) Through six games the team stands 4-2 overall and 2-1 in ACC play.[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tony Elliott, fifth season; record with the team 26-28 through 2025[1](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/04/08/tony-elliott-agrees-to-contract-extension) • [4](https://www.collegefootballratings.com/teams/virginia) |
| Record (through Oct 10, 2026) | 4-2 overall, 2-1 ACC; 3-0 at home, 0-1 away, 1-1 neutral[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html) • [5](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule) |
| Season opener | 34-8 win over NC State on Aug 29, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, the first college football game played in South America, counted as an ACC game[6](https://apnews.com/article/f1c27b6bbdc73045488b9c90b7d3a4d3) |
| Preseason standing | Picked sixth in the ACC media poll; four players on the All-ACC Preseason Team[7](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/07/29/four-cavaliers-garner-all-acc-preseason-honors) • [8](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-virginias-power-four-opponents-170005387.html) |
| Scoring (through six games) | 197 points for (32.8 per game), 115 against (19.2 per game)[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html) |
| Background | 2025 team went 11-3, won the program's first outright ACC regular-season title, and finished No. 16 in the AP poll[9](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2025-26) • [10](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025-26/staff/tony-elliott) |
## Background: the 2025 breakthrough
The 2026 team follows the most successful season in modern program history. Virginia finished 2025 with an 11-3 record, including a 7-1 mark in ACC play, and won the ACC regular season title outright for the first time ever, while the seven conference victories equaled the program's best single-season total.[9](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2025-26) • [10](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025-26/staff/tony-elliott) The Cavaliers lost the [ACC Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/acc-championship-game) to Duke 27-20 in overtime, the first overtime game in ACC championship history, then beat No. 25 Missouri 13-7 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to close the season.[9](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2025-26) • [11](https://apnews.com/article/3e227f54f7fa36cfc51a92b179917fc3) The final No. 16 AP ranking was the program's highest since 1995 and its first appearance in the final poll since 2002.[10](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025-26/staff/tony-elliott)
That rise was built heavily on transfers: more than 50 newcomers joined the program in 2025, including 32 transfers, among them quarterback Chandler Morris, tailbacks [J'Mari Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/jmari-taylor) and Harrison Waylee, and safety Devin Neal.[12](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/02/4/cavaliers-reload-with-latest-transfer-class) In April 2026, athletic director Carla Williams announced Elliott's extension through 2030.[1](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/04/08/tony-elliott-agrees-to-contract-extension)
## Roster and personnel
Virginia returned limited production at the skill positions, with about 18-19 percent of its 2025 receiving yardage and receptions back, and again added transfers at receiver and running back.[13](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/2026/08/19/virginia-football-preview/82890a5e-9bb6-11f1-9cc4-2dc9b46e2d5c_story.html) The 2026 backfield carries six scholarship tailbacks: Jekail Middlebrook, Noah Vaughn, Xavier Brown, Peyton Lewis, Solomon Beebe, and Xay Davis, with Middlebrook topping the depth chart at the start of the season.[14](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/08/17/game-week-approaching-for-hoos) Four Cavaliers were named to the All-ACC Preseason Team in July 2026: offensive linemen McKale Boley and Noah Josey, linebacker Kam Robinson, and punter Daniel Sparks.[7](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/07/29/four-cavaliers-garner-all-acc-preseason-honors) Robinson, a Phil Steele First Team Preseason All-ACC selection, led the Cavaliers with 8.0 tackles per game in 2025 before a season-ending injury in the eighth game.[7](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/07/29/four-cavaliers-garner-all-acc-preseason-honors)
## Schedule and results to date
The season opened on August 29, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, where Virginia beat NC State 34-8 in the first college football game ever played in South America. The game replaced a scheduled home game against the Wolfpack and counted in the ACC standings as the conference moved to a nine-game league schedule.[6](https://apnews.com/article/f1c27b6bbdc73045488b9c90b7d3a4d3) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/c7d3c5980a052051bf805808e353f24e) The Cavaliers then won three straight home games, beating Norfolk State 59-3, Delaware 42-3, and Syracuse 28-25, around two losses: 27-38 to [West Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-virginia) in the Duke's Mayo Classic at [Bank of America Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/bank-of-america-stadium) in Charlotte, and 7-38 at Florida State on October 3.[5](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule) • [3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html)
Remaining conference games include trips to SMU (October 17), Wake Forest (October 31), and [Virginia Tech](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-tech) (November 28), and home games against Duke (October 23), Cal (November 14), and North Carolina (November 21).[5](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule)
## Season context
Virginia entered the season with tempered expectations relative to its 2025 finish: sixth in the ACC media poll. The team briefly appeared at No. 25 in the AP poll after the 2-0 start before falling out after the West Virginia loss.[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html) Through six games the Cavaliers' scoring defense ranked 38th of 138 FBS teams at 19.2 points allowed per game, while the offense averaged 32.8 points.[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html)
## References
1. [Tony Elliott Agrees to Contract Extension, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site (April 8, 2026)](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/04/08/tony-elliott-agrees-to-contract-extension)
2. [ACC moving to 9-game football schedule starting next year, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/c7d3c5980a052051bf805808e353f24e)
3. [2026 Virginia Cavaliers Schedule and Results, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2026-schedule.html)
4. [Virginia Program History, CollegeFootballRatings](https://www.collegefootballratings.com/teams/virginia)
5. [Football 2026-27 Schedule, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule)
6. [NC State and Virginia are set to open the 2026 college football season in Brazil, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f1c27b6bbdc73045488b9c90b7d3a4d3)
7. [Four Cavaliers Garner All-ACC Preseason Honors, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site (July 29, 2026)](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/07/29/four-cavaliers-garner-all-acc-preseason-honors)
8. [Where do Virginia's Power Four opponents rank in preseason media polls?, Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-virginias-power-four-opponents-170005387.html)
9. [2025-26 Football Schedule, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2025-26)
10. [Tony Elliott staff bio, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025-26/staff/tony-elliott)
11. [Duke beats No. 16 Virginia 27-20 in overtime for first outright ACC championship since 1962, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/3e227f54f7fa36cfc51a92b179917fc3)
12. [Cavaliers Reload With Latest Transfer Class, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site (February 4, 2026)](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/02/4/cavaliers-reload-with-latest-transfer-class)
13. [Virginia's mission is 'handling success', The Washington Post (August 19, 2026)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/2026/08/19/virginia-football-preview/82890a5e-9bb6-11f1-9cc4-2dc9b46e2d5c_story.html)
14. [Game Week Approaching for Hoos, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site (August 17, 2026)](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/08/17/game-week-approaching-for-hoos)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › 2026 season articles › FBS team season articles › Power Four conference teams*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license