Duke Football Full 2026 Schedule: Dates, Times, Locations, Breakdowns

Let's break down the Blue Devils' entire 2026 regular-season schedule.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz lifts the ACC trophy with offensive lineman Justin Pickett (77) and defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers at the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke football program is just a few days away from kicking off its 2026 regular season.

Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff will kick things off against Tulane as the Blue Devils look to defend their 2025 ACC Championship in a seemingly wide-open conference. With Week 1 just around the corner, here's a preview of the Blue Devils' entire 2026 regular-season slate.

Week 1: vs. Tulane

Jul 17, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke head coach Manny Diaz talks with the media during interviews at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Sept. 5

Time: 3:30 pm ET (ACC Network)

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, NC)

Week 2: at Illinois

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) throws against the Stanford Cardinal in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Date: Sept. 12

Time: 3:30 pm ET (FS1)

Location: Gies Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL)

Week 3: vs. Stanford

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) receives a hand off in the second quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Sept. 19

Time: 4:00 pm ET (The CW Network)

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, NC)

Week 4: vs. William & Mary

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) runs the ball against Duke Blue Devils defensive end Tyshon Reed (10) during the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Sept. 26

Time: 3:30 pm ET (ACC Network Extra)

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, NC)

*Week 5: Bye*

Week 6: at Georgia Tech

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) attempts to catch the ball in the end zone as Duke Blue Devils cornerback Landan Callahan (21) and safety Dashawn Stone (8) defend in the fourth quarter during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Oct. 10

Time: TBD

Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Week 7: vs. North Carolina

Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Oct. 17

Time: TBD

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, NC)

Week 8: at Virginia

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jayden Moore (8) spins off the tackle by Elon Phoenix defensive back Darren James-Hamilton (8) during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Oct. 23

Time: 7:00 pm ET (ESPN)

Location: Scott Stadium (Charlottesville, VA)

Week 9: vs. Boston College

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils tight end Jeremiah Hasley (85) runs the ball after a catch for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Oct. 31

Time: TBD

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, NC)

Week 10: at NC State

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Demon June (12) is wrapped by Duke Blue Devils defensive end Bryce Davis (14) during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Nov. 7

Time: TBD

Location: Carter-Finley Stadium (Raleigh, NC)

Week 11: at No. 7 Miami

Penn's Jared Richardson gets the Quakers on the board with a 18-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter at Delaware Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Date: Nov. 14

Time: TBD

Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)

Week 12: vs. Clemson

Middle Tennessee wide receiver Amorion Walker (8) catches a pass as Western Kentucky cornerback Dylan Flowers (10) and Western Kentucky defensive back Jaylen Lewis (7) both try to stop him during an NCAA College Football game at Western Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Date: Nov. 20

Time: 7:30 pm ET (ESPN)

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, NC)

Week 13: at Wake Forest

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Dan Mahan (12) celebrates defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Nov. 28

Time: TBD

Location: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium (Winston-Salem, NC)

Sep 6, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears offensive lineman Braden Miller (77) moves to block Texas Southern Tigers defensive end Michael Akins (9) during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dates To Watch

Duke is in an interesting situation heading into the year, given that the ACC feels pretty wide open. According to the ESPN College Football Power Index, the Blue Devils have the 10th-hardest schedule in the ACC; pretty manageable.

The beginning of the regular season will tell a lot about where this Duke team can go. With three of the four contests before the bye being very winnable for Diaz and Co., there's a real chance that Duke can enter the bye with a 3-1 record, or maybe even a 4-0 record if it can steal one on the road over the Fighting Illini.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz high-fives players Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's the midseason point that will probably decide the ceiling for Duke. The three-game stretch against Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Virginia could go a lot of different ways, given how good UNC and UVA looked last weekend, but if Duke can secure one or two wins over that stretch, it can position itself well in the ACC standings.

With how poor NC State looked against Virginia last weekend, if the Wolfpack turn into one of the more disappointing teams in the league, that's another contest Duke can steal on the road. Miami and Clemson in back-to-back weeks could be a gauntlet, depending on how Dabo Swinney's club rebounds.

This is a favorable schedule for Duke in multiple ways, paving the way for eight or nine wins to be firmly in the realm of possibility in Year 3 under Diaz.