Duke’s preseason basketball schedule has been unveiled, and it reads like a carefully curated gauntlet. The Blue Devils will open with a scrimmage against Belmont, travel to face Tennessee, and finish the non‑conference stretch with a trip to Kansas.
The New Coach’s Favor
The Belmont game is being viewed as a goodwill gesture toward Evan Bradds, the program’s newly appointed assistant who spent several years on Duke’s staff before returning to the university.
A year after their last meeting, Duke will meet Tennessee again, this time in a venue that still echoes the roar of the 1998 showdown. The matchup is more than a nostalgia trip; it is a test of how the Blue Devils respond to a different style of play.
A Return to Lawrence
The highlight of the schedule is the visit to Allen Field House in Lawrence, a venue Duke hasn’t entered since 1988, when a dramatic overtime win cemented a memorable chapter in the rivalry.
Coach Jon Scheyer has made it clear that he prefers to schedule opponents that can challenge his squad, a philosophy that aligns with the broader trend of power‑conference programs seeking marquee games.
Yet the financial undercurrents cannot be ignored. High‑profile road games bring guaranteed payouts that help fund the growing NIL ecosystem, and larger schools are increasingly opting for profitable matchups over easy victories.
Motives Remain Unclear
Whether the tough slate is driven by competitive ambition, financial necessity, or a combination of both is still unknown, leaving analysts to watch the early results for clues.