Miami Hurricanes 2025 football schedule released, highlighted by four teams in way-too-early Top 20 polls

Miami finished the 2024 season as the third-highest ranked team in the ACC per the AP poll, checking in at No. 18 with a 10-3 record. The two conference teams ranked higher – No. 12 SMU and No. 14 Clemson – weren’t on the Canes’ schedule. In fact, of UM’s 12 regular season opponents, only one was a top 25 finisher. That was No. 20 Syracuse, which ended the Canes’ hopes of a playoff berth with a win in the regular season finale.

The 2025 schedule sure looks to be a lot more difficult … and it was released tonight.

It’s highlighted by the season-opener on national TV Aug. 31 at home against Notre Dame, which lost in the national title game this year and is ranked No. 5 in the way-too-early On3 poll. ESPN’s early poll has Notre Dame No. 4; Joel Klatt‘s top 10 ranks Notre Dame No. 6.

So that game will tell Miami a lot. The Canes will get a very early test of a revamped offense behind QB Carson Beck and a new receiving corps, while on defense Corey Hetherman has solid returners in DL Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, LB Wesley Bissainthe and CB OJ Frederique while UM’s also added a lot of portal talent.

There’s not a long reprieve after that, because after “easier” games vs. Bethune-Cookman and USF comes the highly anticipated home game vs. a perceived top 20 team with the Gators coming to town. UF is No. 9 in the early On3 rankings and No. 18 in the ESPN rankings

And those aren’t the only ranked opponents at this early juncture.

There are also a couple of tough conference games to get through.

One that promises to be particularly difficult is at SMU on November 1. Rhett Lashlee’s team finished the regular season atop the ACC standings and made the playoffs, and ESPN ranks SMU No. 15 in its early poll and On3 has the Mustangs at No. 22.

Two weeks prior to the SMU game is another tough ACC opponent in the early rankings – Louisville (Miami faces Stanford at home between the two games). The Cardinals are ranked No. 20 per ESPN but unranked by On3. Louisville visits Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night, October 17.

And go ahead and circle Oct. 4 as the annual rivalry game with Florida State, this one on the road. FSU, of course, struggled mightily this past season with just two wins (1-7 ACC). But two years ago the Seminoles had an undefeated regular season, so as quickly as they fell perhaps they could rise up again. In a strange quirk of the schedule, the FSU game is the first conference game and is sandwiched by both of Miami’s bye weekends.

Also of note? Well, the Canes are also in the early rankings, with Klatt putting UM No. 8 on his list with special mention to QB Beck and Miami’s O-line plus the anticipated boost from hiring Hetherman from Minnesota as the defensive coordinator. On3 has the Canes No. 21 (“assuming QB Carson Beck is healthy in time for the season, the Hurricanes should be contenders for the ACC title again … the offensive line should be very good, which should give Beck time and provide a reliable run game; new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman needs to improve a group that cost Miami a playoff berth last season”) and ESPN has UM No. 23, pointing to the struggling defense and stating that “The Hurricanes will have to replace much of the core that looked loaded in 2024 but came up short again with a late-season loss at Syracuse.”

One ranked ACC team Miami won’t face? That’s Clemson, which ESPN and Klatt rank No. 7 and On3 has at No. 10 with QB Cade Klubnick and other major pieces back after the team’s playoff run this year. Georgia Tech and Duke are also getting some early buzz, and the Yellow Jackets checked in at No. 24 in the On3 rankings (Duke’s among others receiving votes) – the Canes don’t play either team in 2025.

Aside from the aforementioned four perceived toughest games, the Canes should have a relatively easy time with overmatched Bethune-Cookman and an average USF program. The other ACC opponents are NC State, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Pitt, with the latter two on the road to end the regular season (the Syracuse game is Nov. 8 and NC State Nov. 15). The Orange, of course, beat the Canes this year and finished 10-3 (5-3 ACC) and in the top 25, and NC State was 6-7 (3-5 ACC), Stanford 3-9 (2-6 ACC), Pitt 7-6 (3-5 ACC) and Virginia Tech 6-7 (4-4 ACC).

There really are no “easy” conference games.

So this is a very challenging schedule with the ACC title game set for Dec. 6.

One thing you won’t hear: How Miami didn’t play any “real” opponents in 2025.

Here is the complete schedule:

MIAMI HURRICANES 2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

SUN., AUG. 31 VS. NOTRE DAME, 7:30 p.m. ABC

SEPT. 6 VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN

SEPT. 13 VS. USF

SEPT. 20 VS. FLORIDA

SEPT. 27 BYE

OCT. 4 AT FLORIDA STATE

OCT. 11 BYE

FRI., OCT. 17 LOUISVILLE

OCT. 25 VS. STANFORD

NOV. 1 AT SMU

NOV. 8 VS. SYRACUSE

NOV. 15 VS. NC STATE

NOV. 22 AT VIRGINIA TECH

NOV. 29 AT PITT