Kansas has locked in the marquee exhibition fans have been circling for months: Duke is coming to Allen Fieldhouse on Oct. 25 for a preseason showdown that will be part of the Blue Blood Classic.
Both Kansas and Duke confirmed the date through their athletic departments, and the game will be the second half of a home-and-home series. The Jayhawks are scheduled to head to Cameron Indoor in 2027.
For Kansas, the Duke game closes out a three-game preseason slate. The Jayhawks open on Oct. 16 against Pittsburg State during Late Night in the Phog, then host Louisville on Oct. 21 before welcoming the Blue Devils five days later.
That final exhibition is the one that stands out. Duke is projected to enter the season as a top-three team and brings another ACC heavyweight to Lawrence. The Blue Devils are coached by fifth-year head coach Jon Scheyer and feature 5-star recruits Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey Jr., plus returning standouts Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer.
Duke reached the Elite Eight last season and, according to the source report, would have had a legitimate shot at the national championship if not for Braylon Mullins' heroic game-winning shot that ended their season.
The addition of Duke gives Kansas what looks like its toughest preseason schedule in recent memory. There is one notable change from the last few years, too: all three exhibitions will be played in Lawrence. Over the past three seasons, Kansas traveled to Illinois, Arkansas, and Louisville for preseason games.
Even though the game won’t count in either team’s record, it should be the most competitive exhibition on Kansas’ schedule and one of the most appealing events of the preseason. And with Allen Fieldhouse as the setting, the Jayhawks will have a real chance to beat Duke no matter where the Blue Devils are ranked when the season gets underway.
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Kansas Freshman Is Already Trying To Set The Tone Against Duke
Dukes 2026-27 preseason slate already has a little extra edge to it, thanks to a pair of exhibition games that should tell the Blue Devils plenty about where they stand before the games count. The schedule includes a scrimmage against Belmont and tune-up matchups with Tennessee and Kansas, giving Duke a chance to see how a revamped roster handles some early pressure against opponents with real talent and real expectations.
Kansas will bring plenty of intrigue into that meeting, especially with highly rated freshman Tyran Stokes arriving as the kind of player who can change the tone of a game before the season even starts. With the Jayhawks also dealing with significant roster turnover, the exhibition offers an early measuring stick for both programs, and a reminder that these preseason dates can feel a lot more serious than the label suggests. [Read more 🡒]