A week after Big 12 media days, it’s the ACC’s turn.
The annual spectacle commences on Wednesday and continues through Friday as the conference’s 17 teams preview the upcoming season.
Below are our five biggest stories for the ACC in 2026.
The 2025 national runner-up Hurricanes are the headliners on Day 1 of ACC media days, and all eyes will be on Mensah after his high-profile departure from the reigning conference champion Duke Blue Devils this offseason.
Last season, Mensah completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 3,973 yards (7.9 yards per attempt), 34 touchdowns and six interceptions. As one of the nation’s top returning quarterbacks on one of its top teams, the 2025 second-team All-ACC selection will be tasked with finishing the job both he and the Hurricanes started last year.
James Franklin takes over at Virginia Tech
For years under former coach Frank Beamer, the Virginia Tech Hokies were a perennial ACC contender, claiming four conference titles and winning at least 10 games in 11 seasons over a 13-year span from 1999-2011.
The Hokies hit rock bottom a season ago, going 3-9, tied for the second-most single-season losses in program history, prompting Franklin’s bold hiring after being fired in-season by the Penn State Nittany Lions. Despite a habit of disappointing in big games, Franklin is a proven culture-setter, turning Penn State into a playoff contender and leading Vanderbilt to back-to-back bowl wins amid a pair of nine-win seasons (2012-13).
With the transfer portal, teams can stage turnarounds in a hurry, and with bowl appearances in the Year 1 at his previous two stops, anything less in Blacksburg will be a disappointment.
California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele levels up
Sagapolutele easily could have fled for (arguably) greener pastures after a brilliant freshman season at Cal, but his decision to remain in Berkeley gives first-year coach and former Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi a major boost heading into 2026.
Sagapolutele, one of Cal’s player reps at media days, finished 316-of-492 (64.2 percent) for 3,454 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year as the Golden Bears finished 7-6, their first winning record since 2019.
Earlier this offseason, On3 reported the ascending quarterback had received interest from multiple Power Four schools, only to remain at Cal.
“I never had any thoughts of leaving,” he told On3’s Pete Nakos, adding he believes the Golden Bears “have the talent” to compete for an ACC title. Few teams in the conference have a more talented quarterback, and that may take Cal farther than many anticipate.
It’s easy to envision how Belichick may have expected the 2025 season to have gone. Two years after being fired by the New England Patriots — the team he coached from 2000-23, winning six Super Bowls — he’d take over at North Carolina, lead a quick rebound and remind NFL front offices why he should be on one of their sidelines, landing an eventual opening.
Instead, North Carolina went 4-8, the Patriots went to the Super Bowl, and we heard the name Jordon Hudson far too many times (apologies to Dallas Cowboys undrafted rookie wideout Jordan Hudson).
Safe to say, things didn’t go as planned.
Stakes are high entering season No. 2, Belichick needing a winning season to prove he hasn’t lost his touch. He’ll be under a spotlight when addressing the media on Friday, and the scrutiny will grow during the regular season if Belichick fails to deliver a quick fix.
Dabo Swinney looks to get Clemson back on track
No. 4 in the Associated Press 2025 preseason poll, Clemson finished unranked at 7-6, its worst record since 2010, Swinney’s second season as head coach. We’ll get a look at the state of Clemson football when the two-time national champion takes the podium on Thursday. Based on earlier offseason comments, we should see a fully energized Swinney.
In June, he told On3’s Chris Low he’s far from contemplating retirement, instead saying, “I’m just getting going. I’m right about the same age Nick [Saban] was when he got to Alabama.
“I’ve got seven playoff appearances,” Swinney continued. “There ain’t another coach still coaching with seven playoff appearances.”
Swinney will likely be just as defiant if asked about his longevity during the second day of media days. And unless he gets Clemson back to the College Football Playoff, he’ll face the line of questioning again next offseason.
