UNC Picked 15th in Preseason ACC Poll

On3 published the ACC preseason football poll showing the University of North Carolina assigned to the 15th spot, the bottom of the 15‑team conference. The ranking places UNC ahead of none, confirming its position at the very bottom of the conference hierarchy for the upcoming campaign. Later reports from Syracuse.com and 10TV broadened the poll picture, listing Miami as the preseason favorite and Syracuse as a team projected near the bottom of the standings.

The Atlantic Coast Conference itself released a statement naming Miami as the favorite to capture the 2026 ACC football championship. Meanwhile, 247Sports highlighted Florida State’s placement at the lowest spot in its program’s ACC history, underscoring a widespread shift among traditional powerhouses. The collective coverage indicates that the preseason expectations place several established programs in unusually low positions, reshaping narratives for the upcoming season.

The consensus places the Tar Heels at the conference’s bottom while Miami leads the poll, and the absence of contradictory data reinforces the current preseason hierarchy. Watching the first weeks of ACC play will reveal whether the poll’s projections hold, with particular attention on how UNC competes against higher‑ranked rivals. Future releases of weekly rankings will provide further context for any shifts.