For the first time in a long time, Miami enters an ACC season as the team everyone else is chasing.
The Hurricanes have been selected as the preseason favourite to win the 2026 ACC Football Championship following a vote of 188 media members at the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte.
Miami collected 3,159 points and an overwhelming 165 first-place votes. SMU finished second with 2,794 points, followed by Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech.
It is another sign of how far Mario Cristobal has taken the programme, but preseason recognition brings added pressure. Miami will now be expected to compete for the conference title rather than simply being considered a potential contender.
The Canes will also need to navigate the ACC’s move to a nine-game conference schedule. The top two teams in the standings will advance to the ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, 5 December.
Preseason polls do not win trophies, of course. Miami fans have learned that lesson more than once. However, receiving 165 of the available 188 first-place votes shows how strongly the wider media believes in this Hurricanes roster.
Now Miami must prove them right.
The Last Word from Across the Pond
The hype train has officially left the station. Miami is no longer being discussed as a dark horse or an outside contender. The Canes are the ACC favourites, and anything short of reaching Charlotte will now feel like a missed opportunity.
