Duke’s preseason tune-up against Tennessee is shaping up to bring more than just an early look at Jon Scheyer’s team. It’s also set to pay.
The Blue Devils will host the Volunteers in an exhibition game on October 20th in Durham, giving fans their first chance to see Duke before the season begins in earnest. And according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the matchup comes with a revenue split that can reach $400,000.
Under the agreement, Tennessee can make up to $200,000 for making the trip to play Duke. If the game generates more than that, the Blue Devils keep the extra money. The report says the payout must be completed within 60 days of the game, based on a contract signed on May 29 by Duke athletic director Nina King and UT associate vice chancellor Kim McCullock and deputy athletic director Marshall Steward.
The exhibition is one of several chances Duke will have to get game action before opening the season against Army in early November. The Blue Devils will also host Belmont and travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to face the Jayhawks.
There’s plenty of reason for attention around this Duke group. After last season ended with a 19-point lead slipping away against UConn in the Elite Eight, Scheyer’s team enters this year with a roster that looks loaded again. Duke returns four of its top six scorers from last season, adds the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, and brought in one of the portal’s top names in John Blackwell to help add experience in the backcourt.
The Tennessee exhibition should give a clearer picture of what this team looks like before the games start counting. With secret scrimmages no longer part of the process, fans get a real seat for the preseason evaluation instead of waiting on secondhand reports. The only thing still missing for now is the tipoff time and TV designation, though the ACC controls the broadcast.
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Dukes Fast Start Is Fueling A Respect Debate Fans Hate
Dukes fast start has only intensified a familiar conversation around the program and its league: how much respect is enough, and who is willing to give it? After winning the ACC title a year ago, the Blue Devils have opened this season well enough to draw attention in the AFCA poll, a sign their momentum is being noticed somewhere, even if the broader national picture still feels stuck on the same old doubts about the conference.
The issue, as it so often is with ACC teams, comes down to proof. The leagues reputation has been battered by the perception of chaos at the top and inconsistency across the board, and Dukes next stretch will matter far more than its early glow. To force its way into the AP conversation, the Blue Devils likely need to do more than keep winning the games they should, with stronger conference opponents standing as the real test of whether this start turns into earned respect. [Read more 🡒]
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The latest reminder came in ESPNs quarterback rankings, where Eget landed well down the list even as Duke keeps winning. The broader takeaway was familiar: the Blue Devils have leaned on a strong defense and the steady production of Nate Sheppard, and now the real question is whether Eget can show enough growth once the schedule stiffens and the pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Looks Ready Again But The ACC Wont Make This Easy
Duke enters the new ACC season with the kind of profile that usually turns preseason optimism into real pressure. The Blue Devils have the look of a program built to contend again, with a roster that blends continuity, size and enough experience to make them a clear reference point as the league sorts itself out. In a conference that still has plenty of credible challengers, that matters because every top-end game will be a test of whether Duke can turn talent into week-to-week consistency.
Virginia, Miami, Louisville and North Carolina all bring their own reasons to believe they can stay in the race, whether that means returning scorers, roster additions or changes on the sideline. But the bigger question for Duke is how much margin it can afford when the ACC schedule starts tightening. The Blue Devils may look the part of a favorite, yet the gap between preseason status and the final standings can disappear quickly once league play begins. [Read more 🡒]