ACC football got its time in the spotlight with the ACC 2026 Kickoff media days in Charlotte on Wednesday. The first of three days focused on the state of the conference in these days of national turmoil. That was followed by the Miami Hurricanes, Stanford Cardinal, Virginia Cavaliers, Florida State Seminoles, and North Carolina State Wolfpack.
Commissioner Jim Phillips covered the issues surrounding the Senate’s Protect College Sports Act legislation and his support of it.
From there, it was on to the head coaches and players.
ACC 2026 Kickoff News and Notes
Miami Faces the Scrutiny
Head coach Mario Cristobal talked about how he has spent the last few seasons relying on transfer portal quarterbacks. This year, it’s Darian Mensah’s turn in the pocket. Cristobal talked about what caught his eye when he realized he could get the transfer from Duke. “When Darian hit the portal, we felt this is a guy we would love to pursue. Watching the crossover tape with so many opponents we faced, we saw his level of talent and play,” Cristobal told the gathered media. “What really took us by surprise in a great way is what an incredible young man he is. His levels of leadership, care factor, time invested in his craft, football IQ, just natural human IQ, just an elite person along with the guys beside him.”
Mensah, in the separate breakout interview room, faced questions about how he came to leave Duke, having already agreed to a new revenue-sharing/NIL deal with them, and with the portal window coming to a close. He said his team of advisors was working on the details and that they were actually closer to declaring for the NFL draft than they were going into the portal. Mensah would only say that he did not get involved in the final decision-making process until the end.
Meet the New Guy
Stanford’s new head coach, Tavita Pritchard, is not only in his first year with the Cardinal. He is in his first year as a head coach anywhere. “I consider myself a lifelong learner. Part of that is making sure that I stay curious and I stay open to different ways of doing things. Knowing and understanding that I don’t know everything,” he said.
Pritchard spent the last three seasons in the NFL, with the Washington Commanders, as the quarterback coach, working with Jayden Daniels.
That made an impression on new Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren, who spent the last four seasons at Michigan. “Yeah, obviously seeing what he did with Jayden Daniels, I was with Jayden a couple months ago. He FaceTimed Coach Pritchard immediately. They were talking like they were old friends. So seeing how much he meant to him was super cool to see,” Warren said.
“I know that I’m in good hands and can play the game with conviction, conviction that he understands what I’m going through in the pocket on a play-to-play basis, and also he will stand behind me with whatever happens.”
The Upward Climb
Virginia head coach Tony Elliott has been on a ride. He guided the Cavaliers through the tragic shootings in 2022 and through some difficult subsequent seasons. Then came 2025. The Cavaliers made it all the way to the ACC title game, losing in the closing seconds to Duke. But the 11-3 season was an indicator to Elliott of what could be. He said that made overcoming that heartbreaking loss pretty easy.
“I was pretty upbeat and positive in the locker room after the game, right, because I knew that this was going be to lead to something better in the future. I kind of flipped a switch pretty quickly,” he said, responding to our question about the times. “I also got the question earlier today about the what-ifs. I have not even thought about the what-ifs. I knew that I had an opportunity to develop us as a program that night in Charlotte. I think the guys were able to quickly flush it, and that resulted in us being able to go out and win the last game of the season, which is one of our team goals. I’m focusing on the future. I’ve learned not to do the what if, wish I would have, ’cause that agony and that regret, it will eat you up inside.”
On the Hot Seat
Mike Norvell knows he is facing a lot of scrutiny at Florida State. He has gone from a conference championship and getting left out of the playoff in 2024 to a 5-7 record in 2025. He was asked about the fans needing to see more consistency. “I love the mentality of this group. Obviously, you see throughout the journey just the margin between victory and defeat, it’s a very thin line. But it’s about the mentality, about the response. It’s about the work that you’re willing to put in, not getting caught up in all the other things that can surround you on the journey that we find ourselves on.”
Thursday at ACC media days will feature Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Louisville.
