BLACKSBURG, Va. (World-Track) — Virginia Tech will host the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships on Friday, Oct. 30, with Virginia and NC State starting as the respective defending champions. The 2026 meeting will take place at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Virginia, with conference titles and NCAA momentum on the line.

The men’s 8k championship race will begin at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the women’s 6k championship at 11 a.m. ET, at the campus course that sits near the Duck Pond at Virginia Tech. This is Virginia Tech’s first time hosting the ACC Championships since 2019.

How to Watch the 2026 ACC Cross Country Championships

What: 2026 ACC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 – Men’s 8K 10:00 a.m. ET / Women’s 6K 11:00 a.m. ET
Where: Buford Meredith Cross Country Course, Blacksburg, Va.
Host: Virginia Tech

TV Channel: ACC Network | TV Watch | Results Live Results
Live Stream: ACC Network via WatchESPN app and ESPN+. The ACC Cross Country Championships will be broadcast live from Blacksburg via ACC Network.
Live Results & Meet Info: https://theacc.com/feature/cross-country-championships
Teams: Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Live Streaming Details

Viewers can watch on ACC Network on cable, or stream on the ESPN app with a TV provider login. Cord-cutters can stream via ACCNX on ESPN+, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo that carry ACC Network.

Preview: Women’s Race

The second-ranked NC State enters as the women’s preseason favorite and defending ACC champion. The Wolfpack women are seeking their fourth ACC women’s title in the last five years and their 31st overall. Notre Dame, which won the title in 2024, was voted second in the preseason poll, just 19 points behind NC State. The Fighting Irish are ranked No. 8 nationally.

NC State has dominated the individual race, winning the women’s individual title for eight consecutive years. Defending champion Angelina Napoleon returns to lead the Wolfpack and extend the streak, with teammate Hannah Gapes, who enters the championship undefeated this season, also expected to challenge for the crown.

USTFCCCA Week 5 – ACC Women Ranked in Top 30:
No. 2 NC State, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 14 Clemson, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 20 Virginia Tech and Stanford (tied), No. 22 Virginia, No. 24 Duke. Boston College also received votes.

What time does the ACC Cross Country Championships start?
The men’s 8k starts at 10 a.m. ET and the women’s 6k starts at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 30.

Where can I watch the ACC Cross Country Championships?
Live on ACC Network and streaming on WatchESPN and ESPN+ via the ESPN app.

Where is the 2026 ACC Cross Country Championships?
At Virginia Tech’s Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Who is favored to win ACC cross country?
Women: No. 2 NC State over No. 8 Notre Dame. Men: Co-favorites No. 8 Syracuse and No. 10 Wake Forest.

Preview: Men’s Race

The men’s title is wide open. Syracuse and Wake Forest began the season as co-favorites in the ACC Preseason Poll. The last five championship meets have seen four different winners, with Wake Forest the only team to claim multiple titles during that stretch.

Defending champion Wake Forest will look to repeat. Syracuse, which has finished first or second in 11 of its 13 ACC seasons, leads the conference in the national poll.

On the men’s side, Wake Forest’s Rocky Hansen will look to repeat as individual champion and potentially break another course record on the rugged, hilly Buford Meredith layout.

USTFCCCA Week 5 – ACC Men Ranked:
No. 8 Syracuse, No. 10 Wake Forest, No. 13 Stanford, No. 15 Notre Dame, No. 27 North Carolina. Virginia Tech also received votes.

Course to Watch

The Buford Meredith Cross Country Course is one of the few in the country located directly on a college campus. The grass loop features a cow pasture at its center and is known for its rolling hills and challenging final kilometer, a course that rewards early aggression.

Virginia Tech last hosted in 2019, when Syracuse men and NC State women claimed team titles before advancing to the NCAA Championships.

The 2026 ACC Championships serve as the final tune-up before the NCAA Southeast Regional on Nov. 13 in Spartanburg, S.C., and the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana.