Kansas Adds Duke to Loaded Exhibition Schedule for 2026-27 Season
Kansas will get one final tune-up against one of college basketball’s premier programs before the 2026-27 regular season begins.
The Jayhawks announced Wednesday they will host Duke in the inaugural Blue Blood Classic exhibition on Oct. 25 at Allen Fieldhouse. The game completes Kansas’ three-game preseason exhibition schedule, the maximum allowed under NCAA rules, and will serve as the centerpiece of KU’s homecoming weekend.
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The matchup comes one day after Kansas football hosts Baylor at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. A tipoff time has not yet been announced, and tickets for the exhibition will be sold separately from season-ticket packages.
The exhibition will begin a home-and-home series between the two blue blood programs. Kansas is scheduled to travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium in October 2027, marking Bill Self’s first trip as Kansas head coach to one of college basketball’s most iconic venues.
The Jayhawks’ exhibition slate now features Pittsburg State on Oct. 16 during the revamped Late Night in the Phog, Louisville on Oct. 21 and Duke four days later.
Although the game will not count toward either team’s regular-season record, it continues a recent trend of high-profile meetings between the programs. Duke defeated Kansas 78-66 in last November’s Champions Classic, and the schools have now met in three of the past four seasons. The Blue Devils own a 9-7 advantage in the all-time series.
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Duke has played just one previous game inside Allen Fieldhouse, earning a 74-70 overtime victory on Feb. 20, 1988. That contest is remembered as the debut of Kansas’ iconic “Beware of the Phog” banner.
Kansas will open the regular season eight days after facing Duke when it hosts Fordham on Nov. 2, giving the Jayhawks three challenging exhibition contests to prepare for another season with national championship expectations.
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