The Duke basketball program has taken a hit to its 2026-27 non-conference schedule, which is one of the toughest in the entire sport next season.
Duke was set to face off against Michigan at loanDepot Park on Dec. 21. That big-time contest has now been called off.
Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Duke Will No Longer Face Michigan at loanDepot Park
The Blue Devils were originally set to face the Wolverines at Madison Square Garden as part of Duke’s landmark broadcasting deal with Amazon, which gave the network exclusive rights to broadcast three non-conference, neutral-site games each season.
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A media rights dispute involving the Big Ten eventually led to the game being moved to loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. Former Michigan head coach Dusty May had a relationship with Marlins owner Bruce Sherman, which likely played a factor in the move.
Duke Finds Familiar Opponent To Replace Wolverines
Duke has replaced Michigan with a familiar opponent, Texas Tech. The Blue Devils will take on the Red Raiders at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21. This contest joins Duke’s date with UConn in Las Vegas (Nov. 25) and with Gonzaga in Detroit (Feb. 20) as the three games that will be broadcast by Amazon next season. The game will stream on Prime Video.
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The Blue Devils took on Grant McCasland’s Red Raiders last season, where TTU outlasted Duke 82-81 on Dec. 20.
Broadcasting Dispute Costs Duke/Michigan Rematch
Jon Scheyer and May were still determined to make this game happen after disputes over broadcasting rights led to the matchup needing to be moved from Madison Square Garden to loanDepot Park.
May later left college basketball altogether to take over as the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, “With May no longer around, and with the game still coming under dispute from broadcast television partners in the past month, Duke and Michigan decided in recent days to walk away from the game due to the ongoing complexities with pulling off the matchup under unique circumstances.”
The Blue Devils will now get a chance to redeem themselves against Texas Tech. TTU handed Duke its first loss of the season at MSG in late December. The Blue Devils led 46-36 at half and were up by as many as 17 points in the second half before the Red Raiders made a thrilling comeback to send Duke fans home unhappy.
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Duke now has an opportunity for revenge.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Duke Basketball Replaces Michigan With Familiar Non-Con Opponent.
