The Duke basketball program has added another elite matchup to its already stellar non-conference schedule.
The matchups for the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge were released, and the Blue Devils will take on Florida for the second consecutive year. In 2025-26, the Gators came to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Duke won in a thriller, 67-66. This time around, Duke will make the trip to Gainesville.
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This is the latest of several high-profile contests the Blue Devils will face on their non-con slate this upcoming season. Duke boasted the best overall resume in college basketball last season, and with this slate, it has a chance to match that once again.
Jon Scheyer’s club will face three of last season’s Final Four squads, and both that competed in the National Championship. Duke will face reigning national champ Michigan, but the contest has been moved from Madison Square Garden to loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.
Duke will still have a game at Madison Square Garden next season, taking on Georgia as part of the Jimmy V Classic.
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The Blue Devils will have a daunting few weeks over the non-conference schedule next season. Let’s break down the full slate.
Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer speaks with the media during a press conference ahead of the east regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Duke Basketball Full Non-Conference Schedule After ACC/SEC Challenge Release
|
Opponent |
Location |
Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Cameron Indoor Stadium |
Nov. 5 |
|
|
Michigan State |
United Center |
Nov. 10 |
|
Cameron Indoor Stadium |
Nov. 17 |
|
|
UConn |
T-Mobile Arena |
Nov. 25 |
|
Florida |
Exactech Arena |
Dec. 1 |
|
Michigan |
loanDepot Park |
Dec. 21 |
|
Army |
Cameron Indoor Stadium |
TBD |
|
Georgia |
Madison Square Garden |
TBD |
|
Gonzaga |
Little Caesars Arena |
Feb. 20 |
Duke’s Non-Con Slate Is Absolutely Loaded
Three or four of the Blue Devils’ matchups in the non-con could end up being the best game of the entire college basketball season. Luckily, Duke will still have the chance to take on Michigan despite a media rights dispute with the Big Ten that forced the location to be switched. If Duke had been adamant about remaining at Madison Square Garden, it would have had to find a new opponent.
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UConn, Michigan, and Gonzaga are Duke’s three opponents next season, as part of its ground-breaking broadcast deal with Amazon, which allows the streaming service to exclusively broadcast three non-conference, neutral-site games for the Blue Devils each season.
Duke also agreed to a home-and-home series with Illinois, and Cameron Indoor will be rocking when it welcomes a Fighting Illini club that will enter next season as a heavyweight National Championship contender.
Once again, Scheyer has gone to work with his out-of-conference scheduling and has given his team a chance to build one of the best bodies of work in the entire sport. Duke went 19-3 in Quadrant 1 games a season ago and 11-2 against AP Top 25 opponents, one of the main reasons it eventually earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Above all, the Duke program is treating college basketball fans to several marquee matchups early in the season, which is fantastic for the sport itself. As time goes on, more coaches are making it a priority to schedule a few big-time contests before conference play rolls around. Scheyer has never shied away from a potential heavyweight bout early on in the season, and he will partake in several throughout the upcoming year.
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Duke will still have a few non-con games to fill out, but this is likely it for the high-profile contests.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Duke’s Full Non-Conference Schedule After ACC/SEC Challenge Release.
