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Date, location set for non-conference matchup between Duke, Michigan

Untitled design (2)by: Sam Gillenwater06/24/25samdg_33
Duke HC Jon Scheyer, Michigan HC Dusty May
Robert Deutsch & Brett Davis | Imagn Images

Duke vs. Michigan was reported as a neutral site, non-conference matchup, between two teams who will enter next season highly ranked, back in April. That game now has a date set with the two to meet in the nation’s capital in February.

Per releases and posts by each of the programs on Tuesday morning, Duke vs. Michigan will take place on February 21st. ‘The Duel in The District’ between the Blue Devils and Wolverines will tip off on a Saturday inside Capital One Arena in Washington D.C..

Duke and Michigan have played one another 28 times in history with the Blu Devils holding a 21-7 advantage. A majority have been home or away games in Durham and Ann Arbor with some neutrals mixed in like in Detroit, New York City, and Maui. Two of them, though, have then been matchups in the NCAA Tournament, including the national title game in 1992 with Duke, led by Christian Laettner and Grant Hill, winning 71-51 over The Fab Five in Minneapolis as well as a game in the Round of 32 in 2011 with Duke also winning 73-71 in Charlotte. Their last meeting was the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in 2013 with it being another Duke win at 79-69 with 53 total points from Quinn Cook, Jabari Parker, and Rodney Hood beating out 39 from Caris Levert and Mitch McGary.

These are two well-known brands in college basketball. That has only continued coming out of last season early on in tenures of their respective head coaches and proven with each being in the latest edition of the Preseason Top-10s for both of James Fletcher and Jamie Shaw at On3.

Duke will be entering year four this season under Jon Scheyer, being 89-22 (.802) in his three seasons since taking over for Mike Krzyzewski. That includes his most successful finish yet in Durham at 35-4 (.897) this last year, winning both conference titles in the ACC and making it back to the Final Four. Now, after losing several players who will be draft picks this week, the Blue Devils will be led by the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, with Cameron and Cayden Boozer plus Nikolas Khamenia, to pair with returners in Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, and Patick Ngongba.

Michigan is then entering year two under Dusty May. The Wolverines went 27-10 (.730), tying for second in the Big Ten and going on to win the Big Ten Tournament before losing in the Sweet 16. The maize & blue have now reloaded themselves with the No. 5 portal class, with each of their four commitments in the Top-75 overall with Yaxel Lendborg (UAB), Morez Johnson (Illinois), Aday Mara (UCLA), and Elliott Cadeau (North Carolina), to go with returners in Nimari Burnett, Roddy Gayle, and Will Tschetter.

Duke and Michigan then have a lot else, either official or reported, for their schedules in ’25-’26. The Blue Devils also have Texas in the Dick Vitale Invitational, at Army, Kansas in the Champion’s Classic, Niagara, Howard, Arkansas in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic, Florida in the ACC/SEC Challenge, and at Michigan State in their non-conference. The Wolverines then have Wake Forest, TCU, Villanova, and a spot in The Player Era’s Festival either confirmed or reportedly on their non-con slate.

This should be a game between top-ten or so teams in the sport for next season. Both will have to wait for it in a break from league play, though, with both leaving that game to compete for conference or national titles the following month after.