Duke’s 2026-27 non-conference schedule took a hit this week, but the Blue Devils didn’t leave Dec. 21 empty. Instead of the shelved Michigan matchup, Duke will now face Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.
The original plan had Duke and Michigan meeting at loanDepot Park after the game was moved away from Madison Square Garden because of a media rights dispute involving the Big Ten. Duke was supposed to play the Wolverines at MSG as part of its broadcasting deal with Amazon, which has exclusive rights to three non-conference, neutral-site games each season. Former Michigan coach Dusty May’s relationship with Marlins owner Bruce Sherman was also a factor in the move to loanDepot Park.
That game is now off. 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."
Duke’s replacement opponent is one it knows well. The Blue Devils and Grant McCasland’s Red Raiders met last season, when Texas Tech edged Duke 82-81 on Dec.
- That loss also came at MSG, where the Blue Devils led 46-36 at halftime and were ahead by as many as 17 points in the second half before Texas Tech stormed back.
The Texas Tech game now joins Duke’s other Amazon-broadcast non-conference dates next season: UConn in Las Vegas on Nov. 25 and Gonzaga in Detroit on Feb. 20. All three games will stream on Prime Video.
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Wafles path has already taken him through two major programs, and Duke is betting that a change of scenery can help unlock the consistency that has been elusive so far. He is expected to compete for a starting job next season, giving the Blue Devils another option in the middle of the line as they keep reshaping the defense for the year ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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Lynch has now been extended through the 2028 season with a mutual option for 2029, a sign that Denver views her as part of its core rather than just a promising first-year addition. Head coach Nick Cushing has praised the way she has handled the jump to the pro game, and the move gives Lynch a chance to keep building on a debut season that has already made her one of the more important young pieces on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Still Faces The Duke Question Fans Can't Ignore
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The lingering question is whether this is the season Scheyer finally turns those trips into a championship breakthrough. The recent pain points are hard to ignore, from the blown 17-point lead against UConn in the Elite Eight to the loss to Houston in the 2025 Final Four, and those are the kinds of defeats that stick with a blue-blood program. Duke has been close under Scheyer, but close is not the same as cutting down the nets, and that is the gap fans will be watching all season. [Read more 🡒]