Duke’s 2026-27 non-conference slate just took a major turn, and the headline matchup that was supposed to bring the Blue Devils and Michigan Wolverines together is off the board.
The two programs will not meet during the 2026-27 college basketball season. What had been planned as a return game after their meeting last year in Washington, D.C. never found a workable home once Madison Square Garden was no longer an option. There was also discussion about shifting the game to Marlins Stadium, but that idea has now fallen through as well.
The scheduling snag reportedly stemmed from a broadcast-rights dispute, according to ESPN. Duke’s agreement with Amazon, which also included a game against UConn, created complications for the Big Ten and Michigan as the sides tried to settle on a new arrangement. In the end, the matchup was canceled outright.
Duke has replaced that game with Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.
That meeting is set for December 21, nearly a year to the day after the teams played last season. Texas Tech edged Duke 82-81 in that game, handing the Blue Devils their first loss of the year.
Even with the change, Duke’s schedule still looks loaded. Jon Scheyer and his staff have continued to put together demanding non-conference slates, and this one is no different. The Blue Devils are expected to enter the season ranked in the top five and could even land as high as No. 2 in the preseason polls.
Texas Tech won’t be in that same tier, but Grant McCasland’s team remains a solid opponent. McCasland has guided the Red Raiders to three straight NCAA Tournaments, and they’ll give Duke another serious test when the teams meet at MSG.
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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 🡒]