If you walked into a sports bar in late 2025 and asked who won the ACC championship, you might’ve expected to hear about Florida State or Miami. Instead, the answer is a bit of a shocker. Duke—yes, the "basketball school"—is currently sitting on the throne of ACC football. It's their first outright title since 1962. Honestly, if you had that on your bingo card, you're either a time traveler or a very optimistic Blue Devils alum.
But "ACC Champion" depends entirely on which ball you're talking about. The conference has had a chaotic stretch lately. From 56-yard walk-off field goals to overtime thrillers in Charlotte, the landscape of the Atlantic Coast Conference has shifted. While Clemson continues to be the heavyweight everyone tries to knock off, schools like Duke and even newcomers like SMU have turned the hierarchy upside down.
The Current King: Duke’s 2025 Football Miracle
On December 6, 2025, the ACC football world basically stood still. Duke faced off against No. 16 Virginia at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Most experts thought the Cavaliers would cruise to their first-ever CFP berth. Instead, we got a 27-20 overtime slugfest that ended with Duke hoisting the trophy.
It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Darian Mensah found Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown in the extra period. Then, the defense stepped up. A huge interception by Luke Mergott on Virginia’s very first offensive play of overtime sealed the deal. Coach Manny Diaz, who’s known for being a bit of a gambler, used a fake punt and a hard count on fourth down to keep drives alive. It was gritty. It was weird. It was Duke football at its absolute peak.
This win didn't just give Duke a trophy; it threw the entire College Football Playoff into a tailspin. People often forget that Duke hadn't won this thing outright in over sixty years. They shared a title back in 1989 with Steve Spurrier, but this 2025 run was different. They were unranked, they were the underdogs, and they basically bullied the regular-season champions at the line of scrimmage.
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Clemson’s 2024 Heartbreaker and the 56-Yard Dagger
You can't talk about who won the ACC championship without looking back at the 2024 season, which was arguably the most stressful year in recent memory for Tigers fans. Clemson beat SMU 34-31 in a game that felt more like a movie than a football match.
SMU was the new kid on the block, playing in their first-ever ACC title game. They actually trailed 31-14 going into the fourth quarter. Then, the Mustangs went nuclear. They scored 17 unanswered points and tied the game with 16 seconds left. I remember watching it and thinking Clemson had completely choked.
Then came Nolan Hauser.
The freshman kicker stepped up and drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired.
56 yards.
In the freezing Charlotte air.
It was the longest field goal in the history of the ACC Championship game.
Cade Klubnik, the MVP of that game, tied a record with four touchdown passes, but everyone really just remembers the kick. That win gave Clemson their 22nd ACC title, which is more than any other program. It also reminded the rest of the conference that while Duke might have the current crown, the road to the top usually still runs through Clemson, South Carolina.
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Don't Forget the Hardwood: Basketball Dominance
If you're asking about the ACC Men’s Basketball Championship, the story is a bit more traditional. Duke won the 2025 title, defeating Louisville 73-62. This was a massive statement for Jon Scheyer. It was his second title in three years, proving he's doing a decent job filling some pretty legendary shoes.
Kon Knueppel, the tournament MVP, was a force, but the real story was Tyrese Proctor. He had been shooting terribly leading up to the final—literally 0-for-10 from three-point range. In the championship game? He found his stroke and hit six triples. Duke actually won the regular-season title and the tournament title in the same year, something they hadn't done since 2006.
Recent ACC Men's Basketball Winners
- 2025: Duke (Defeated Louisville 73-62)
- 2024: NC State (The "Five Games in Five Days" Miracle)
That 2024 NC State run is something people will talk about for decades. They were a 10-seed. They had to win five games in a row just to get the trophy. They beat North Carolina in the final, 84-76, behind the massive presence of DJ Burns Jr. and DJ Horne. It was the first time a double-digit seed ever won the ACC tournament.
The Realignment Factor: Why These Titles Feel Different
The ACC isn't just the "Atlantic Coast" anymore. With SMU, Cal, and Stanford in the mix, the geography is a mess, but the competition has stayed high. SMU almost won the whole thing in their very first year.
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The conference has moved away from the old "Divisions" format (Atlantic and Coastal). Now, the two teams with the best winning percentages just go straight to Charlotte. This has made the race a lot tighter. In 2025, Duke actually got into the title game because of a five-team tiebreaker. It’s a bit of a math headache, but it keeps things interesting until the final week of November.
What to Watch for Next
If you’re looking to keep track of the next winner, keep your eyes on the following:
- The Transfer Portal: Duke’s 2025 win was heavily fueled by guys they brought in. Parity is at an all-time high because a team can rebuild their entire roster in one offseason.
- The Kicking Game: As Hauser showed in 2024, special teams are literally the difference between a trophy and a long bus ride home.
- The New Teams: SMU is already a contender. Don't sleep on the California schools as they get used to the cross-country travel schedules.
Basically, if you're trying to figure out who won the ACC championship, make sure you specify the year and the sport. If it's football right now, it's Duke's world. If it's basketball, Duke's holding that trophy too. It’s a good time to be a Blue Devil, even if it feels a little strange to the rest of us.
For fans wanting to stay ahead of the curve, keep a close eye on the early-season conference standings in September. The tiebreaker rules are complex, so every single conference win matters more than ever. If you're planning a trip to the next title game, book your Charlotte hotels early; that city turns into a madhouse the first weekend of December.