Two years ago, UConn head coach Dan Hurley stirred the pot in the best way possible-calling for more marquee matchups in college basketball’s early-season non-conference slate. And he didn’t just talk in generalities.
Hurley specifically floated the idea of a home-and-home series with Duke, a challenge that caught attention across the sport. Fast forward to this past summer, and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer didn’t shy away from the idea either.
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) December 1, 2025
In a conversation with The Field of 68, Scheyer made it clear: a showdown between the Blue Devils and Huskies isn’t a matter of if, but when.
"I'm sure that we're gonna play sometime soon," Scheyer said. "I'm sure of it... A lot of respect for them and how good they've been and what they've done."
That mutual respect runs deep. UConn and Duke are two of college basketball’s modern titans-five national titles for Duke, six for UConn-and their histories are dotted with pivotal postseason moments.
One of the most memorable? The 2004 Final Four, when UConn mounted a late surge to knock off a Duke squad led by sharpshooter JJ Redick and legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
That win helped propel the Huskies to the national title, and it came just five years after UConn snapped Duke’s 32-game win streak in the 1999 national championship game.
So when UConn’s social media team dropped a highlight reel of that 2004 Final Four comeback on Monday morning, fans naturally started speculating. Was this a not-so-subtle tease of a future UConn-Duke matchup finally becoming a reality?
As it turns out, not quite.
The post was tied to something a bit more immediate: UConn is breaking out 2003-04 throwback jerseys for their Tuesday night road clash against No. 21 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse (9 p.m.
ET, ESPN2). The Huskies, currently ranked No. 5 and sitting at 6-1, confirmed the connection with a follow-up video showing current players suiting up in the same design worn during that iconic win over Duke in San Antonio.
So, no official scheduling news just yet between the Huskies and Blue Devils. But as Scheyer hinted during the offseason, a future matchup feels inevitable. And when that day comes, you can bet UConn will be ready to cue up the highlight reels-both from 2004 and from that 1999 title game at Tropicana Field, when they stunned Coach K’s loaded roster to win their first national championship.
Something old, something new 👀 pic.twitter.com/8BjO8hfHzw
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) December 2, 2025
In the meantime, both programs have business to handle.
Duke, now 8-0 and ranked No. 4, is set to host Florida in a high-stakes ACC/SEC Challenge game Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Gators, who claimed their third national title last season, come in at 5-2 and ranked No. 15.
It’s a heavyweight battle in early December, the kind of matchup Hurley was calling for all along.
And while there’s no UConn-Duke date circled on the calendar just yet, the buzz is building. When these two bluebloods finally meet again, it won’t just be a game-it’ll be a moment.