Duke basketball’s post-Cooper Flagg era begins: Full 2025-26 schedule revealed originally appeared on The Sporting News
College basketball practices are back, and the countdown to tipoff is on in Durham. The Cooper Flagg era came and went in just one season, leaving behind NBA buzz and Final Four memories. But now Jon Scheyer enters year four, facing life without his generational freshman, plus the departures of Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, and sharpshooter Kon Knueppel.
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Duke reloads with the nation’s top recruiting class and returns six key contributors, but the new-look Blue Devils are about to be tested early. Their 2025-26 schedule is packed with challenges from November through March.
Non-conference schedule highlights
Nov. 4 vs Texas (Charlotte, N.C.) – The opener comes against a Longhorns team fresh off another NCAA run. A neutral-site clash right away will reveal plenty about Duke’s chemistry.
Nov. 18 vs Kansas (New York City) – Blue Blood vs Blue Blood under the Madison Square Garden lights. Both programs reloaded with top recruits, and this one has March preview written all over it.
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Nov. 27 vs Arkansas (Chicago, Ill.) – A Thanksgiving weekend showdown in the Windy City gives Duke another Final Four-caliber opponent.
Dec. 6 at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.) – Scheyer takes his team into Tom Izzo’s house. This will be as hostile as it gets for a young squad.
Dec. 20 vs Texas Tech (New York, N.Y.) – Another neutral-site battle in the Big Apple against a program built on defense.
Feb. 21 vs Michigan (Washington, D.C.) – A rare late-season non-conference clash that could serve as a tournament résumé boost ahead of Selection Sunday.
ACC matchups to circle
Feb. 7 at North Carolina – The first clash with the Tar Heels will test Duke’s young roster in one of college basketball’s most intense arenas.
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Jan. 26 vs Louisville (Big Monday) – ESPN’s primetime spotlight at Cameron will give fans a better idea of Duke’s place in the ACC hierarchy.
Feb. 28 vs Virginia – The Cavaliers’ deliberate style always makes this a chess match and a key late-season measuring stick.
Mar. 7 vs North Carolina – The rematch at Cameron Indoor closes the regular season. Expect ACC title stakes and an electric atmosphere.
MORE: First look at Steven Pearl’s first season schedule as head coach at Auburn
Key stretches to watch
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November gauntlet: Texas, Kansas, and Arkansas in the first month, a trial by fire for a freshman-heavy roster.
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West Coast swing: Back-to-back games at Cal and Stanford in mid-January mark Duke’s first-ever ACC road trip out West.
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Carolina rematches: As always, the season’s legacy may hinge on the two showdowns with UNC.
Scheyer is ready for the challenge
Jon Scheyer has already won an ACC title and reached a Final Four, but now comes his most demanding challenge yet: proving Duke can reload even after losing a generational star like Cooper Flagg and fellow key pieces like Proctor, Foster, and Knueppel. With another top-ranked recruiting class and one of the nation’s toughest schedules, Duke’s identity in the post-Flagg era will be tested from day one.
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