Top 3 Duke Non-Conference Games After Texas Tech Addition

There has been a shake-up in Duke basketball's 2026-27 non-conference schedule.

Duke will no longer face Michigan at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, in December. The contest was axed due to ongoing media rights disputes. The game was originally supposed to be played at Madison Square Garden, but a media rights dispute with the Big Ten forced it to be moved.

Jun 29, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; New Dallas Mavericks’ head coach Dusty May, along side Masai Ujiri, Dallas Mavericks’ President of Basketball Operations, answers questions from the media during an introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As a replacement, the Blue Devils will now take on Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21. This will be the second straight year that Duke and TTU meet at The World's Most Famous Arena.

With the Blue Devils' elite non-con schedule changing, let's rank their top three games on the slate.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer speaks with the media during a press conference ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1. Duke at Florida - Dec. 1

There's a real argument to be made that Duke and Florida will enter the 2026-27 season as the top two teams in the sport, and for good reason.

Todd Golden is bringing back six of his top seven scorers from last season in Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Rueben Chinyelu, Urban Klavzar, and Isaiah Brown. Chinyelu is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and Klavzar is the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year.

Feb 7, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dribbles the ball as Texas A&M Aggies guard Ali Dibba (6) defends during the first half at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Haugh was an All-American selection last season and is arguably the best player in the country heading into the year.

The Blue Devils will head to Exactech Arena to take on the Gators in Gainesville for an ACC/SEC Challenge rematch. Last season, Florida came to Cameron Indoor Stadium, and Duke walked away with a 67-66 victory.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts after a play against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2. Duke vs. UConn - Nov. 25

Duke's three contests as part of its broadcast agreement with Amazon next season are against UConn, against Texas Tech, and against Gonzaga in Detroit (Feb. 20).

The Huskies are coming off an appearance in the national title game and will once again enter the season as true contenders to cut down the nets in early April.

Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau (3) dribbles the ball around Connecticut guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) during the first half of the NCAA national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday, April 6, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Dan Hurley might have the best backcourt in America next season with Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr., along with several other solid portal additions. Former Blue Devil Nik Khamenia also transferred to UConn following the 2025-26 campaign.

Above all, this is a perfect revenge opportunity for the Blue Devils after the Huskies crushed the souls of Duke fans everywhere in the Elite Eight. Duke now has a prime opportunity for revenge early in the season.

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood directs players during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3. Duke vs. Illinois - Nov. 17

I went back and forth between Illinois and Michigan State, but Duke hosting the Fighting Illini at Cameron Indoor makes for a fantastic environment for a matchup between two clubs that are expected to be top-five teams in college basketball next season.

Coming off the first Final Four appearance of his Illinois career in 2026, Brad Underwood returned five of his top eight scorers from a season ago, headlined by star guard Andrej Stojakovic and David Mirkovic. Illinois also landed big-time transfer Stefan Vaaks from Providence and 5-star recruit Quentin Coleman.

This is the first edition of the home-and-home agreement Duke and Illinois made this offseason.

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