DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke men’s basketball program has finalized its 2016-17 non-conference schedule, which features eight regular-season home games, a pair of contests at Madison Square Garden and the first college basketball game at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Of the 14 known and potential opponents on Duke’s 2016-17 non-conference schedule, six made postseason appearances in 2016, including three NCAA Tournament participants (Cincinnati, Kansas and Michigan State).
The Blue Devils will open the regular season with a pair of home games as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off, hosting Grand Canyon on Nov. 11 and a team to be determined on Nov. 12. Duke has never faced Grand Canyon in men’s basketball.
Duke will square off with Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Nov. 15. The Blue Devils own a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series and last met KU in Chicago in the 2013 Champions Classic.
Duke will remain away from home for its next two games, taking on Penn State at Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov. 19 to open the championship portion of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off. The game will start at 12:30 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ESPN3.
The following day, the Blue Devils will face either Cincinnati or Rhode Island depending on the results of the semifinal games. The tournament championship game will be held at 1 p.m. and broadcast on ESPN, while the consolation game is set for approximately 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
On Nov. 23, Duke will kick off a stretch of four consecutive home games when it hosts William & Mary. The Blue Devils will host Appalachian State on Nov. 26 before their ACC/Big Ten Challenge showdown with Michigan State on Nov. 29. Duke is 10-2 all-time against MSU, including a 3-0 mark in the Challenge, and has won the last five meetings between the programs.
Duke’s homestand will conclude when it plays host to Maine on Dec. 3.
The Blue Devils will make a return trip to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 6 to take on Florida in the Jimmy V Classic. Duke owns a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series with UF, though the programs haven’t met since the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
“Duke is honored to participate in the Jimmy V Classic, one of the prominent events in college basketball each season,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said when the event was announced in April. “Certainly, Florida represents a significant challenge. Facing this level of competition, played in one of the world’s premier sporting venues at Madison Square Garden, will provide us with invaluable experience as we develop our team. Personally, the Jimmy V Classic means so much to me as Jim and I became brothers toward the end of his life. He recruited me to be a part of his vision for the V Foundation, and I am very proud to be associated with that team’s tireless efforts to find a cure for cancer.”
Duke is making its third appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, having earned wins over Kentucky in East Rutherford, N.J., in both 1998 and 2001. Florida is led by second-year head coach Mike White, the son of Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White.
The Blue Devils will travel to Las Vegas for a matchup with UNLV on Dec. 10, marking the first meeting between the programs since the 1991 national semifinals. The contest will also represent the first college basketball game played at the new T-Mobile Arena, a multi-purpose venue that opened in April 2016.
Duke’s non-conference home finale will occur on Dec. 19 when the Blue Devils host Tennessee State, and Duke will conclude regular-season non-conference play on Dec. 21 when it squares off with Elon at the Greensboro Coliseum.
As previously announced, Duke’s ACC schedule will include home-and-homes with Florida State, Miami, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Duke will only host Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State and Pitt, while only visiting Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Prior to the start of the regular season, Duke will tip off the 2016-17 campaign with Countdown to Craziness presented by Delta Air Lines on Oct. 22. The Blue Devils will also host exhibition games against Virginia State on Oct. 28 and Augustana (S.D.) on Nov. 4.
Per Duke Sports Information
