The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men’s Soccer Championship, as the No. 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers prepare to face the No. 7 seed SMU Mustangs on Sunday, November 16, at 1 p.m. ET. The showdown will take place at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, with the action broadcast live on ESPNU. Fans eager to witness the drama firsthand have snapped up single-game tickets, priced at $15 in advance and $20 on game day, available exclusively online, with no walk-up sales permitted.
This year marks the 39th edition of the ACC Men’s Soccer Championship, and it’s shaping up to be one for the history books. Virginia, under the steady leadership of head coach George Gelnovatch—recently crowned the 2025 ACC Coach of the Year—is gunning for its first conference title since 2019. For Gelnovatch, a win would mark his sixth ACC championship at the helm of the Cavaliers, further cementing his legacy in Charlottesville.
On the other side of the pitch, SMU is making history of its own. The Mustangs, newcomers to the ACC for the 2024-25 academic year, are making their very first appearance in the ACC Men’s Soccer Championship Game. A victory on Sunday would not only be a landmark achievement for the program but would also deliver SMU its first ACC title in any sport since joining the conference. Talk about making an entrance!
Virginia’s journey back to the top seed has been a long time coming. This is the first time since 2001 that the Cavaliers have secured the tournament’s No. 1 seed, and they earned their first regular-season crown since capturing the 2019 Coastal Division title. With a rich soccer tradition, Virginia shares the record for the most ACC championships among current members—16 apiece with Clemson—and boasts a league-best 11 tournament titles. The Cavaliers have consistently been a force in collegiate soccer, and their presence in the final is hardly a surprise to seasoned fans.
Yet, history offers a cautionary tale for top seeds in the ACC tournament. Since 2014, only one No. 1 seed—Wake Forest in 2017—has managed to lift the trophy, while the only 7-seed to ever win the event was Syracuse back in 2015. Could SMU be poised to join that exclusive club? The Mustangs’ run through the tournament has certainly turned heads, as they’ve defied expectations at every turn.
Let’s take a closer look at how both teams reached this point. Virginia enjoyed a first-round bye before edging past No. 9 North Carolina 2-1 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Cavaliers dispatched No. 12 California with another 2-1 victory, displaying the resilience and tactical discipline that have become hallmarks of Gelnovatch’s squads.
SMU’s path has been nothing short of dramatic. The Mustangs opened their campaign with a wild 5-4 win over No. 10 Wake Forest, then stunned No. 2 Stanford 1-0 on the road in the quarterfinals—a result that sent shockwaves through the bracket. In the semifinals, SMU delivered a statement performance, routing No. 6 Syracuse 5-1 to book their spot in Sunday’s championship. Their offensive firepower and ability to rise to the occasion have made them one of the tournament’s most compelling stories.
According to the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, four ACC teams are ranked among the nation’s top 25: Virginia at No. 4, Stanford at No. 8, NC State at No. 11, and SMU at No. 25. The depth of talent in the conference is undeniable—thirteen of the ACC’s fifteen teams have cracked the rankings at some point in 2025. In the NCAA’s most recent RPI report, Virginia sits at No. 2 and SMU at No. 7, underscoring the high stakes and elite quality on display in this year’s final.
The ACC has long been the gold standard in men’s college soccer. Since 2001, its teams have captured 11 NCAA national championships, including three of the last four—Clemson in 2021 and 2023, and Syracuse in 2022. The league’s collective resume is staggering: 20 national titles, at least one by eight active programs, and 65 College Cup appearances all-time. At least one ACC team has reached the College Cup in 22 of the last 24 seasons, a testament to the conference’s enduring excellence.
Beyond the ACC, the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament looms large. The full 48-team bracket—comprising 22 automatic bids awarded to conference champions and 26 at-large selections—will be unveiled on Monday, November 17. With conference championships taking place across the country between November 7 and November 16, the race for those coveted NCAA berths is reaching fever pitch. The ACC champion, crowned Sunday in Cary, will secure one of those prized automatic bids and enter the national tournament with momentum on their side.
“This is what you play for all season,” Gelnovatch remarked earlier in the week. “Our guys have worked incredibly hard to put themselves in this position, and we’re excited for the challenge ahead.”
SMU head coach, whose squad has relished the underdog role, echoed the sentiment: “We respect Virginia, but we believe in ourselves. We’ve shown we can compete with anyone in this league, and now we have a chance to make history.”
Sunday’s championship is more than just a battle for a trophy—it’s a collision of tradition and ambition, of established power and rising force. Virginia’s storied pedigree stands in stark contrast to SMU’s fresh-faced hunger, yet both teams arrive with a sense of destiny. The Cavaliers’ methodical approach and defensive solidity will be tested by the Mustangs’ attacking flair and fearless attitude.
Fans tuning in on ESPNU or filling the stands at WakeMed Soccer Park can expect a match brimming with intensity, skill, and the kind of drama that makes college soccer so captivating. Will Virginia reclaim its place atop the ACC, or will SMU’s Cinderella run end with a fairytale finish? With both programs hungry for glory and a national tournament berth on the line, every moment promises to be electric.
As the countdown to kickoff continues, anticipation is building across the college soccer landscape. The 2025 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship has all the ingredients for a classic—now it’s up to Virginia and SMU to deliver. By Sunday afternoon, one team will have etched its name into ACC lore, while the other will regroup and look ahead to the NCAA tournament. For now, all eyes are on Cary, where history is waiting to be written.
