How Duke Got Students in the Stands in Latest Win

The Duke Blue Devils football team has made it two in a row against their biggest rival of all time, the North Carolina Tar Heels, in their football series. Over the last two seasons, it has come down to the end, and Duke has come out with a huge win. That is something that would usually go against the Blue Devils in the past. Not this time, once again. Duke pulled it off, and it was a massive one because they are now bowl eligible.

The Blue Devils need everyone in that game to pull it off. That is something you see when teams take on their rivals. Everyone was involved somehow, and it was great to see that in this game. And Duke did not forget about their students. Now they are getting these students in the seat for their final game of the regular season.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field for warm up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Duke Getting Students to the Game this Week

"Given the Thanksgiving holiday and with many Duke students out of town, Saturday’s football game between the Blue Devils and Wake Forest could draw a slim crowd to Wallace Wade Stadium," said Chip Alexander of The Herald Sun.

Duke offered a solution to capitalize on this season’s on-field success: Let any fan become a Duke student for a day and attend the game for free.

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils players greet their fans during the fourth quarter of their 45-21 victory over the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The school announced a promotion Monday night where fans could sit in the student section at Wallace Wade Stadium for the final regular-season game. Parking also would be free.
By Tuesday, all 4,000 student tickets had been claimed, after an overnight surge of interest, the school said.

“The senior class, this is their week, their senior day at Wallace Wade,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said Monday. “I told them (Sunday) night they’ve won 19 games in our league. And when you say ‘Duke’ that is the people. That is Aaron Hall, that is Sahmir Hagans, that is Justin Pickett, and I can go on and on about what they have accomplished in the last four years.”

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; The Duke Blue Devil before kickoff against the Virginia Cavaliers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Diaz said he was not sure how many players would be recognized on Saturday but is hoping they receive an appreciative reception and there will be a nice turnout. A victory over the Demon Deacons (8-3, 4-3 ACC) would give the Blue Devils a season sweep of their Big Four rivals after beating N.C. State and UNC.

“We didn’t even address it,” Diaz said of Duke’s chances. “So many moons have to align and stars, and the octopus has to choose the Duke helmet. We didn’t even bother with that.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. We’ve got to play a team that has eight wins, so that’s where our focus is.”

Nov 19, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils helmets on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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