2025 ACC Championship Game

2025 ACC Championship Game
Conference Championship
Duke Blue Devils Virginia Cavaliers
(7–5) (10–2)
27 20
Head coach: 
Manny Diaz		 Head coach: 
Tony Elliott
APCoachesCFP
161617
1234OTTotal
Duke 7733727
Virginia 07310020
DateDecember 6, 2025
Season2025
StadiumBank of America Stadium
LocationCharlotte, North Carolina
MVPDarian Mensah, QB, Duke
FavoriteVirginia by 3.5[1]
RefereeJerry Magallanes
Attendance41,672
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
ESPN Radio
AnnouncersABC: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath, and Taylor McGregor (sideline reporters)
ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), and Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline reporter)
2025 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 16 Virginia y   7 – 1     11 – 3  
Duke y$   6 – 2     9 – 5  
No. 2 Miami (FL) ^   6 – 2     13 – 3  
Georgia Tech   6 – 2     9 – 4  
SMU   6 – 2     9 – 4  
Pittsburgh   6 – 2     8 – 5  
Louisville   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Wake Forest   4 – 4     9 – 4  
NC State   4 – 4     8 – 5  
California   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Clemson   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Stanford   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Florida State   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Virginia Tech   2 – 6     3 – 9  
North Carolina   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Boston College   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Syracuse   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Championship: Duke 27, Virginia 20OT
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
As of March 20, 2026
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2025 ACC Championship Game was a college football conference championship game played on December 6, 2025, to determine the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for the 2025 season. The game featured the Virginia Cavaliers and the Duke Blue Devils. The 21st annual game began at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC.

This was the first ACC Championship Game to go into overtime, with Duke winning it with an interception on a Virginia trick play. Duke went on to defeat Big XII opponent Arizona State in the 2025 Sun Bowl while Virginia went on to defeat SEC opponent Missouri in the 2025 Gator Bowl.

Teams

The 2025 ACC Championship Game featured the Virginia Cavaliers, with a 7–1 conference record, as the #1 seed, and the Duke Blue Devils, with a 6–2 conference record, as the #2 seed, after winning a 5-way tiebreaker of 6–2 teams.[2] During the last few weeks of the regular season, Duke's ability to clinch a spot in the conference championship caused a significant stir among commentators and fans. Duke had lost all three of their FBS nonconference games and had never been ranked during the season. This led many to speculate that Duke would not be one of the five highest-ranked conference champions at the end of the season, preventing them from receiving an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. Miami, the highest-ranked ACC team, was outside of the top 10, leading many to call a Duke victory a "doomsday scenario" for the conference, where no teams might be invited to the playoff.[3] Most considered James Madison, the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference, but ranked below American favorites Tulane and North Texas, as the most likely beneficiary of a Duke victory, as they could become the fifth highest-ranked conference championship and make the playoffs instead.[4]

This game was a rematch of a regular-season game on November 15; Virginia defeated Duke 34–17.

Duke Blue Devils

Main article: 2025 Duke Blue Devils football team

The Blue Devils clinched a spot in the game on November 29, when they defeated Wake Forest and then saw Pittsburgh lose to Miami and SMU lose to California.[5] They finished the regular season 7–5 (6–2 ACC) and were the designated away team for this game.

This is Duke's first ACC Championship appearance since 2013, when they lost to eventual national champion Florida State 45–7. They sought their first ACC Championship since 1989 and first outright title since 1962.

Virginia Cavaliers

Main article: 2025 Virginia Cavaliers football team

The Cavaliers clinched a spot in the game on November 29, when they defeated rival Virginia Tech.[6] They finished the regular season 10–2 (7–1 ACC) and were the designated home team for this game.

This is their first ACC Championship appearance since 2019, when they lost to Clemson 62–17. They sought their first ACC Championship since 1995 and first outright championship in school history.

Scoring summary

2025 ACC Championship Game
Duke Blue Devils (7–5, 6–2) vs. No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers (10–2, 7–1)
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Duke 7 7 33727
No. 17 Virginia 0 7 310020

at Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC

  • Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 39 °F (4 °C) • Wind: W at 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 41,672
  • Referee: Jerry Magallanes
  • TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color analyst), Molly McGrath, and Taylor McGregor (sideline reporters)
Game information
First quarter
  • DUKE – Jeremiah Halsey 12-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 10:40. Blue Devils 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 9:38.
Second quarter
  • UVA – J'Mari Taylor 11-yard pass from Chandler Morris (Will Bettridge kick), 14:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 1:31.
  • DUKE – Nate Sheppard 16-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 6:14. Blue Devils 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 8:02.
Third quarter
  • UVA – Will Bettridge 24-yard field goal, 7:19. Blue Devils 14–10. Drive: 17 plays, 68 yards, 7:41.
  • DUKE – Todd Pelino 29-yard field goal, 3:53. Blue Devils 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:26.
Fourth quarter
  • DUKE – Todd Pelino 23-yard field goal, 5:02. Blue Devils 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:19.
  • UVA – Will Bettridge 42-yard field goal, 3:54. Blue Devils 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 1:08.
  • UVA – Eli Wood 18-yard pass from Chandler Morris (Will Bettridge kick), 0:22. Tied 20–20. Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, 1:22.
Overtime
  • DUKE – Jeremiah Hasley 1-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick). Blue Devils 27–20. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards.
Statistics DUKE UVA
First downs 19 25
Plays–yards 69–333 69–344
Rushes–yards 44–137 29–128
Passing yards 196 216
Passing: comp–att–int 19–25–1 21–40–2
Time of possession 34:24 25:36
Team Category Player Statistics
Duke Passing Darian Mensah 19–25, 196 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Nate Sheppard 21 carries, 97 yards, TD
Receiving Cooper Barkate 5 receptions, 91 yards
Virginia Passing Chandler Morris 21–40, 216 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Harrison Waylee 11 carries, 66 yards
Receiving Cam Ross 5 receptions, 59 yards

References

  1. ^ MGM Betting. "Duke vs Virginia Prediction, Odds & Best Prop Bets – ACC Championship". betmgm.com. MGM.
  2. ^ Al-Khateeb, Zac. "Virginia, Duke to meet in unlikely ACC Championship game with CFP spot on line". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  3. ^ Crawford, Brad (November 23, 2025). "Pitt's upset of Georgia Tech pushes ACC to brink of CFP doomsday scenario". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  4. ^ Rome, Nicholas (November 30, 2025). "Every team who should want Duke to win the ACC Championship Game". Saturday Blitz. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  5. ^ DiSalvo, Abby (November 29, 2025). "Duke football secures spot in ACC Championship game". Duke Chronicle.
  6. ^ "No. 17 Virginia clinches spot in ACC title game; to face Duke". ESPN. November 29, 2025.


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