No. 25 Virginia, West Virginia Renew Rivalry in Charlotte SaturdayNo. 25 Virginia, West Virginia Renew Rivalry in Charlotte Saturday

No. 25 Virginia, West Virginia Renew Rivalry in Charlotte Saturday

Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina is set for 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network and Virginia Sports Radio Network

#25 Virginia vs. West Virginia

Saturday, Sept. 19 • 7:30 p.m.
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Seeking its first 3-0 start since 2019, No. 25 Virginia (2-0) meets West Virginia (2-0) in the Duke’s Mayo Classic Saturday evening (Sept. 19) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium – home to the NFL’s Carolina and the site of the 2026 ACC Championship – is set for 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network and the Virginia Sports Radio Network. 

The Cavaliers and Mountaineers have not gone head-to-head since the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl, a 48-22 UVA victory that was also contested in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium, formerly known as Ericsson Stadium. 

Tickets for the Duke's Mayo Classic are on sale now and can be purchased via UVAtix.com. 

"So we've got a lot of football ahead of us, and we're going to need everybody. This is a violent game, physical game. Guys are gonna get banged up and we're gonna need them all."
Tony Elliott

Tony Elliott

after 98 players saw game action last week vs. Norfolk State
  • Virginia and West Virginia meet for the first time Saturday (Sept. 19) since the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl, a 48-22 Cavalier victory, also in Charlotte. The two schools have not met in the regular season in 41 years. 
  • Virginia will play an active member of the Big 12 for only the fourth time since the conference formed in 1996. The Cavaliers are 1-2 against the active members of the league. The lone win against a Big 12 school came against Texas in 1996 (37-13) at Scott Stadium. 
  • Saturday marks only the third time UVA has been ranked in its 24 games played against WVU. Including 2026, the Cavaliers have been ranked in three of the last four meetings. 
  • Virginia and West Virginia will be one of 11 games on the Saturday FBS slate that features a matchup of unbeaten teams.  
  • Saturday will mark UVA’s sixth time playing at Bank of America Stadium. It will also be the first regular-season game at the home of the Carolina Panthers after being the site of two ACC Championship games and three bowl games featuring Virginia. UVA is 3-2 all-time at the facility, which includes the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl win over West Virginia. 
  • The Cavaliers have played in an NFL stadium either in the regular season or postseason in eight of the last nine years. 
  • UVA went 1-1 in neutral-site contests last season and matched a program record with four road wins. The five wins away from Scott Stadium were the most in a season since 1995. 
  • Virginia enters the game with four interceptions, the second most in college football. Through two games and 26 pass attempts, West Virginia is one of 47 FBS teams that has not thrown an interception. 
  • The Virginia defense has forced a turnover in 12 of its last 13 games dating back to last season. The Cavaliers have forced a total of 23 turnovers (17 INT, 6 FR) in their last 12 games, including a pair in their season opener against NC State (1 INT, 1 FR). 
  • Virginia does not have a player on its current team from state of West Virginia or Delaware, home of its next two opponents. West Virginia is the only one of the five bordering states of Virginia that is not represented on UVA’s roster. 
  • Virginia returns to Charlotte for the first time since suffering a 27-20 overtime loss to Duke in the 2025 ACC Championship game. At 7-1 in the ACC, Virginia matched its best record in league play, and that marked the first time ever UVA finished alone atop the league standings. The Cavaliers defeated Duke on the road in the regular season, 34-17, just three weeks prior. 
  • West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez served as an assistant on Clemson’s staff during the 1999 and 2000 seasons before landing his first stint as head coach in Morgantown. Rodriguez was the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Clemson, where Tony Elliott was a wide receiver from 1999-2003. 
  • Elliott also overlapped with WVU coaches Zac Alley (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator) and Andrew Warwick (linebackers) while on staff at Clemson. 
  • Virginia trailed 10-7 after the first quarter of the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl before outscoring the West Virginia 41-12 over the final three quarters. Freshman running back Wali Lundy was responsible for four touchdowns, two rushing and two receiving. He gained 127 yards on the ground and accumulated 76 yards receiving to earn MVP honors. 
  • UVA starting cornerback Jacobie Henderson is one of four Charlotte natives on this year's team, along with Jaylen Jones, Dane Steele and Dallas Brannon. Henderson attended Catawba Ridge High School. He recorded a career-high nine tackles last week in UVA's 59-3 rout of Norfolk State (/11). Henderson comes from an athletic family, highlighted by his cousin, former NFL cornerback and fellow Charlotte native Jaire Alexander. 
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