One ACC Road Game That Could Trip Duke Basketball Up

The Duke Blue Devils now know all of their ACC opponents for the 2026-27 season and which programs they will face twice.

The ACC is playing an 18-game conference schedule for the second year in a row, with each team having a primary partner and a variable partner, which it will play both home and away. Each team's primary partner doesn't change, but its variable partner switches year to year.

Duke's primary partner is North Carolina, and its variable partner for the 2026-27 campaign is Virginia. Its variable partner last season was Louisville, which Duke beat both at Cameron Indoor Stadium and at the KFC Yum! Center.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The only ACC team Duke will not go up against next season is Virginia Tech.

Duke is looking to three-peat as ACC regular-season and Tournament champions, but there are several capable teams in the league, at least with how it currently looks on paper, that could dethrone it.

Aside from all of the obvious marquee games on the Blue Devils' ACC slate for next season, let's break down a more under-the-radar road contest that could trip them up if they're not careful.

Duke Facing Syracuse on the Road Could Be a Challenge

Over the last few seasons, Syracuse has been far from the success its storied name would suggest. In 2025-26, the Orange went 15-17 overall and 6-12 in ACC action, leading to the firing of head coach Red Autry. Autry went 49-48 overall in three seasons as the head coach at Syracuse.

The last time Syracuse made the NCAA Tournament was in 2021 as an 11-seed with Jim Boeheim still at the helm. It hasn't been so smooth-sailing for the program over the last several seasons, but a new era could be forming with the Orange, and especially on the road, they could be a formidable opponent for the Blue Devils.

Siena Saints head coach Gerry McNamara claps Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Duke Blue Devils at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Era Shaping for Syracuse Basketball Program

After letting go of Autry, Syracuse brought in former Siena head coach and Syracuse player Gerry McNamara, who went 37-30 in two seasons with the Saints.

Ironically, McNamara gave the Blue Devils a major scare in the NCAA Tournament as the 16-seed taking on the No. 1 overall seed. Siena was up 43-32 on Duke at the halftime break, and the Blue Devils were only able to escape with a 71-65 victory in the Round of 64.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Siena Saints guard Gavin Doty (4) shoots the ball against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

From that Siena team, McNamara is bringing guard Gavin Doty with him to Syracuse. The 6'5" guard averaged 18.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals a game on 45.8% shooting from the field. Doty went for 21 points against Duke in the NCAA Tournament.

McNamara also brought back guard Kiyan Anthony, son of Carmelo Anthony, who was a bit disappointing as a rookie. However, it looks like Anthony has worked on his size and frame quite a bit this offseason as he looks to establish himself as one of the better guards in the ACC.

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Kiyan Anthony (7) shoots a free throw during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Sadiq White, who averaged 6.1 points in 15.1 minutes a game last season, is also back. Syracuse is bringing in Temple transfer Aiden Tobiason, a 6'5" guard who averaged 15.3 points on 48.0% shooting for the Owls.

This isn't to say Syracuse will be a top contender in the ACC, but it's a program with new life and culture. JMA Wireless Dome is a tough place to play, and the arena will be rocking if McNamara can bring any sort of momentum to the program and its fans.

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