Duke to face Big Ten foe in marquee neutral-site showdown
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Duke is in the process of loading up its 2025-26 basketball schedule, and the Blue Devils will have some quality opponents in store this season for Jon Scheyer and his group.
On Tuesday, Duke confirmed that the program will face Big Ten foe Michigan. Hailed as the “Duel in the District,” the matchup will Feb. 21, 2026, in Washington DC’s Capital One Arena.
The matchup is similar to the one that Illinois and Duke played this past season. Traditionally, marquee nonconference games are slated for early-season matchups, but the Illini and Blue Devils bucked that trend, and the Wolverines and Blue Devils will follow suit this year. (Duke won last year’s late-season nonconference showdown, 110-67, over Illinois.)
The matchup will be a 2nd for Duke against prominent Big Ten teams, with Michigan State already lined up to face the Blue Devils in East Lansing early in the season. Duke will also face reigning national champion Florida in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Overall, Duke and Michigan have faced off 30 times on the hardwood, a series that has predominantly leaned in favor of the Blue Devils. Duke holds a 22-8 all-time edge in the series, and the 2 sides have not faced since a 79-69 win by the Blue Devils in 2013.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
