 Duke Football is finally back! The Blue Devils open the 2026 season Saturday afternoon against Tulane at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 on the ACC Network. Duke gets another shot at the Green Wave after last year's 34-27 loss down in New Orleans, but this time we get them at home. I've got Duke winning 34-21, and I'm also taking the OVER on the current 51.5 total.
The first thing I'm watching is pretty simple: Feed the Nate Train! 🚂 Nate Sheppard is back in the Duke backfield, and with a new quarterback making his Duke debut, I want to see Duke get Nate going early. Feed him the ball, establish the run game and make things a little easier on the new guy behind center. If the Nate Train gets rolling early, I like Duke's chances. Speaking of the new guy, I'm really interested to get our first look at Walker Eget running this Duke offense. There is only so much we can learn in the offseason, and now we finally get to see what it looks like when the games count. I'm not expecting Eget to come out and be perfect in Game 1. Protect the football, make the throws that are there and keep the offense moving. Let's see what we've got! The third thing I'm watching might be the biggest opponent for both teams on Saturday: Mother Nature. 🥵 It's going to be HOT in Durham. We're looking at temperatures around 95 degrees near kickoff, and now there is also the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. If the storms stay away, I'm really interested to see which team handles that heat better as we get into the second half. Depth and conditioning could become a big part of this game late. Duke is sitting around a 7.5-point favorite, and I'm taking the Blue Devils to cover. I don't think Tulane is going to come into Wallace Wade and just roll over, and after what happened last year, Duke should know that better than anybody. But give me Duke at home, Feed the Nate Train, let Eget settle into his first start, survive that Durham heat and let's start 2026 at 1-0. Duke 34, Tulane 21. Go Duke!
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 All right, we’re back again with bowl projections for Duke Football! Here’s my Week 1 projection before Duke kicks off the 2026 season against Tulane. If you’ve been following along on Blue Devils Blog, I’ve already put out my ACC Stock Market predictions and my preseason ACC bowl projections. Now it’s time to narrow the focus to Duke with my weekly bowl watch.
I’ve studied the schedule, gone back and forth, changed my mind a few times, and eventually landed on Duke finishing 8-4 this season. With that record in mind, I kept coming back to two possible destinations for the Blue Devils. I considered sending Duke south to Tampa for the Gasparilla Bowl, but for Week 1, I’m sending the Blue Devils north to New York City for the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Trying to project bowls before a single game has been played is like trying to throw a dart at a moving target in the middle of the ocean. 😂 But hey, some of us love looking over bowl projections, and some of us get way too excited about doing them. I’m definitely in that second group, so here we are! For now, I’m sticking with Duke heading north in late December for the Pinstripe Bowl. We’ll see how things look after Duke takes the field against Tulane this Saturday. I’ll be back here on Blue Devils Blog with my Week 2 bowl projection after the game. Until then, bring on Labor Day weekend, bring on Duke Football, and Go Duke! 🔵🏈  Here are my preseason ACC bowl projections for Duke Report! I probably won’t do another full ACC bowl projection until we get around ACC Championship Game time. However, I will be doing a weekly Duke Football bowl projection after every game this season, so you have that to look forward to.
I’ve gone back and forth looking at this list and trying to figure out the best bowl destinations for each team. Preseason bowl projections are basically like throwing a dart at a dartboard while floating around in the ocean with waves crashing everywhere. 😂 But bowl projections are fun to do, so here we are! I have two ACC teams making the College Football Playoff, Miami and SMU. If you read my ACC Stock Market article, you know I’m pretty high on Virginia Tech this season, and I have the Hokies heading west to the Holiday Bowl. Even with how NC State faltered and fumbled away its Week 0 game against Virginia, I still have the Wolfpack finishing 8-4 and landing in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. It’s close to home, would bring a good crowd to Charlotte and just feels like a natural fit. I may be a little too tough on Georgia Tech at 5-7, but when I look at that schedule, I just don’t have a lot of confidence in the Yellow Jackets getting to six wins. I do have them sneaking into the Birmingham Bowl as a 5-7 team because I’m projecting there won’t be enough bowl-eligible teams to fill every spot. As for Duke, I went back and forth between the Gasparilla Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl. Ultimately, with my preseason prediction of 8-4, I have the Blue Devils heading north to New York City and playing in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. But hey, that could all change after one week of football! Check back after the Duke-Tulane game to see if my weekly Duke Football bowl projection has changed. Until then, bring on Week 1, let’s enjoy another college football season, and Go Duke! 🔵😈🏈  I’ve bounced back and forth between 7-5 and 8-4 for Duke this season because there are some legitimately tough games on the schedule. I think the floor is around 6-6, maybe 5-7 if things really go sideways, while the ceiling could be 9-3. A lot will depend on how quickly the new pieces come together, especially at quarterback, whether the defense takes a step forward, and just how much Duke rides the “Nate Train” with Nate Sheppard at running back.
I did make one change from my original predictions. I initially had Duke winning at Virginia and losing at NC State, but after Week Zero, I flipped those two. I probably didn’t give Virginia enough credit for the experience on that roster, and winning a Friday night game in Charlottesville will be difficult. The Cavaliers will also be looking for some revenge after losing to Duke in last December’s ACC Championship Game. I’m giving Duke the win at NC State instead, although winning at Carter-Finley in November certainly won’t be easy either. One road game I’m sticking with is Duke over Georgia Tech. I simply haven’t been as sold on the Yellow Jackets as some others, something I mentioned in my ACC Stock Report a few weeks ago. My eight wins are Tulane, Stanford, William & Mary, at Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Boston College, at NC State and at Wake Forest. The four losses are at Illinois, at Virginia, at Miami and Clemson. Put it all together and I've got Duke at 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC, including a 5-1 record at Wallace Wade and 3-3 on the road. I'm also predicting another State Championship with wins over UNC, NC State and Wake Forest, along with a third straight bowl trip under Manny Diaz. Now we're just two days away. Duke and Tulane kick it off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium. Bring on Duke Football. Bring on college football season! 🔵😈🏈  The 2026 college football season is almost here, so it's time for me to put some predictions on paper that I'm sure a few of you will remind me about come November and December. 😂 A few weeks ago, I submitted my ACC preseason media ballot following ACC Kickoff, ranking all 17 teams from top to bottom. But just ranking the teams wasn't enough for me. I wanted to go through the schedules game by game and see where I actually think everybody finishes. And yes, there are some predictions in here that could come back to haunt me. I have a team ranked near the bottom that I think is better than its record will show. I have a few upsets that I'm probably going to regret. I have the Calgorithm claiming multiple victims. I have Duke once again outperforming expectations. And I have two ACC teams reaching the College Football Playoff. One important note before we begin: the rankings below are the actual order I submitted on my preseason ballot. My projected records came afterward when I sat down and picked the schedules game by game. Because of that, a couple of projected records don't perfectly match the original order of my ballot. That's part of the fun. So instead of starting at the top, let's count this thing down from No. 17 all the way to my pick to win the ACC. Here we go. No. 17 Boston College Eagles Projected Record: 2-10 Somebody has to finish at the bottom of the conference, and on my preseason ballot, that team is Boston College. This one really comes down to the schedule. When I look over Boston College's 2026 slate, I have a hard time finding many games where I feel comfortable picking the Eagles to win. The two games I keep coming back to are Rutgers and Maine at home. Those are the two I currently have in the win column, although even Rutgers isn't necessarily a guaranteed victory. After that, things get difficult in a hurry. Boston College could certainly steal an ACC game somewhere. College football rarely goes exactly according to plan, and there will probably be a game somewhere on this schedule that looks completely different in November than it does right now. But when I'm going game by game before the season and actually putting wins and losses on paper, I keep arriving at the same place. 🦅 My Prediction: 2-10 That's why Boston College landed No. 17 on my preseason ballot. I'm not saying the Eagles can't surprise me. I'm saying that with this schedule, I need them to prove me wrong. No. 16 Stanford Cardinal Projected Record: 1-11 When I submitted my preseason ballot, I placed Stanford at No. 16. After going through the schedule game by game, I might have actually been too generous. I currently have the Cardinal winning one game: Elon. That's it. Now, I know what you're thinking. How can a university with the resources, money and reputation of Stanford be sitting this low in an ACC football prediction? That's exactly what makes Stanford so fascinating. The resources certainly aren't the problem. Stanford has the money and the brand to build a successful football program. My question is simply: How long before the investment starts showing up on Saturdays? Because I don't see it happening in 2026. Maybe Stanford steals another game somewhere, but when I went through the schedule and forced myself to pick every game, Elon was the only one I felt comfortable putting in the win column. 🌲 My Prediction: 1-11 So while Stanford was No. 16 on the ballot I submitted, my game-by-game prediction actually has the Cardinal finishing with the worst overall record in the conference. Maybe Stanford's resources eventually turn this thing around. I just don't think investors are seeing the return in 2026. No. 15 Syracuse Orange Projected Record: 3-9 At No. 15, I have Syracuse, and once again this is a team where I have trouble finding enough wins to move them much higher. I have the Orange beating New Hampshire and UConn in the nonconference schedule. After that, things get pretty rough. My lone ACC victory comes against Boston College. Maybe Syracuse steals another conference game somewhere, but I'm not confident enough to put one on the board right now. That's really the theme with Syracuse for me: I need to see it before I believe it. 🍊 My Prediction: 3-9 That means no bowl game in my projection and another difficult season for the Orange. Syracuse can certainly prove me wrong, but looking at the schedule right now, I don't see enough wins to move them much farther up my board. No. 14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Projected Record: 4-8 At No. 14, I have Wake Forest, and this might be one of those predictions that comes back to bite me. Wake is coming off a successful season, so dropping the Demon Deacons all the way down to four wins is certainly a statement. But when I went through the 2026 schedule game by game, that's where I landed. I have Wake beating Akron and then winning at Purdue. The Demon Deacons also pick up an ACC victory over Stanford before beating Merrimack. That gets them to four, and that's where I stop. Wake could prove me wrong and steal another conference win or two, especially after what the Demon Deacons accomplished last season, but I see them falling short of bowl eligibility this time around. 🎩 My Prediction: 4-8 Four wins would obviously be a major step backward, and this is another prediction that could look pretty bad by November. But when I work through the schedule, I just don't see six. For now, I'm keeping Wake Forest on the outside of the postseason. No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels Projected Record: 3-9 And now we arrive at what might be my most interesting prediction in the bottom half of the ACC: North Carolina at No. 13. When I submitted my preseason ballot, I already wasn't very bullish on the Tar Heels. After going through their schedule game by game, I may be even more bearish. I currently have North Carolina winning only three games: East Tennessee State, Syracuse and at UConn. That's it. And this isn't entirely about talent. It's about everything surrounding the program. Year one of the Bill Belichick experiment produced far more headlines than victories, and instead of everything settling down heading into Year 2, the circus surrounding Chapel Hill seems to keep adding new acts. At some point I start wondering: When does all of the noise become too much? Maybe Belichick finds a way to block everything out and gets this team moving in the right direction. But then I look at the schedule, and I'm struggling to find wins. 🐏 My Prediction: 3-9 North Carolina was No. 13 on my preseason ballot, but after going through the schedule, I actually feel worse about the Tar Heels than I did when I submitted it. I see a program with a recognizable brand and plenty of resources. I also see a train that has the potential to go completely off the tracks in 2026. Until North Carolina gives me a reason to believe otherwise, I'm staying away from this investment. No. 12 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Projected Record: 6-6 | Bowl Eligible OK, this might be the first prediction that really comes back to haunt me. 😂 I have Georgia Tech at No. 12. Yes, I know. Brent Key has done a tremendous job with the Yellow Jackets, and plenty of people are considerably higher on Georgia Tech than I am. But before Georgia Tech fans come after me, have you looked at this schedule? Because I have, and dang, it is tough. Georgia Tech gets Tennessee at home, plus games against Duke and Louisville in Atlanta, road trips to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Clemson, and then finishes the regular season against Georgia in Athens. That's a lot of games where I can see Georgia Tech playing pretty good football and still walking away with a loss. When I went through the schedule, I found six wins: Colorado, Mercer, Stanford, Boston College, Louisville and Wake Forest. And then I stopped. Could Brent Key make me look stupid? Absolutely. In fact, Georgia Tech might be the team on this entire list most likely to make me revisit this article in November and ask, "Why in the world did I put Georgia Tech at No. 12?" 😂 🐝 My Prediction: 6-6 Here's the important distinction: I don't necessarily think Georgia Tech is the 12th-most talented team in the ACC. I think their schedule could make a pretty good football team look much worse on paper than it actually is. I'm sticking with the pick, but I'm nervous about it. No. 11 Florida State Seminoles Projected Record: 6-6 | Bowl Eligible At No. 11, I have Florida State. When I went through the Seminoles' schedule game by game, I landed right on the magic number: six wins, six losses and a return to the postseason. I have Florida State beating New Mexico State, Central Arkansas, Virginia, Boston College and NC State. Then there is the final game of the regular season: Florida vs. Florida State. I'm going with the Seminoles. That rivalry victory gets Florida State to six wins and sends FSU bowling. Finding victories beyond those six becomes much more difficult for me. This is still Florida State, so I wouldn't be shocked if the Seminoles grab another one somewhere, but I'm not ready to predict they're all the way back yet. 🍢 My Prediction: 6-6 It's not the type of season Florida State fans ultimately expect from their program, but getting back to the postseason would at least be another step forward. And if the Seminoles beat Florida in the final week to get there? Something tells me FSU fans would enjoy win No. 6 just a little more than usual. 😂 No. 10 Pittsburgh Panthers Projected Record: 8-4 | Bowl Eligible We have officially reached my Top 10, and at No. 10 I have Pittsburgh. While being ranked 10th might not sound like I'm particularly high on the Panthers, don't let the ranking fool you. I have Pitt finishing 8-4. In fact, I have the Panthers starting the season 4-0. Then comes the first speed bump: Friday night in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech. I've already said I'm bullish on the Hokies, and a Friday night in Lane Stadium isn't exactly where I'd want to protect an undefeated record. I'm giving Virginia Tech that one. My other Pitt losses? At Miami, at Louisville, and yes, at California. That's right. I'm officially predicting Pitt to fall victim to the CALGORITHM. 😂 Maybe I've spent too much time buying Cal stock, but I keep coming back to those ACC teams making the cross-country trip to Berkeley. So when everything is added together, I have Pitt losing four games, all on the road. And honestly? That's a pretty good football season. 🐾 My Prediction: 8-4 Pitt may only be No. 10 on my ballot, but an 8-4 Panthers team would be nobody's idea of an easy Saturday. And if I'm wrong about that trip to Berkeley, I'll blame the Calgorithm. 😂 No. 9 California Golden Bears Projected Record: 8-4 | Bowl Eligible If you read my ACC Stock Market article, you already know I have a special place in my heart for Cal Football. 😂 Maybe it's the Calgorithm. Maybe it's Cal After Dark. Maybe I just enjoy the fact that a school in Berkeley, California somehow plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Whatever it is, I'm riding with the Golden Bears, and apparently I'm riding with them all the way to 8-4. I have Cal losing four games: Clemson at home, at SMU, at NC State and at Virginia. Here's where I'm going to be consistent. Cross-country travel matters. I've talked about how difficult it can be for East Coast teams to fly across the country and play in Berkeley. Well, that works both ways. I have those trips to NC State and Virginia tripping up the Golden Bears, but I also have Cal returning the favor when teams come west. There is one game in particular where I'm planting my Calgorithm flag: Virginia Tech at California. I've got Virginia Tech ranked No. 5. I'm extremely bullish on the Hokies. But they're going to Berkeley, and somebody has to become another victim of the CALGORITHM. 😂 I'm calling the upset. 🐻 My Prediction: 8-4 Maybe it's my heart talking. Maybe I'm giving the Calgorithm entirely too much power. We'll find out. But I believe Cal is going to be one of those teams nobody particularly enjoys playing in 2026. All hail the Calgorithm. No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers Projected Record: 7-5 | Bowl Eligible Here is another prediction that might come back to haunt me. I have Virginia at No. 8. Yes, the same Virginia program that won 11 games last season and made it all the way to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. So why am I this low on the Cavaliers? First, let me give Virginia credit. An 11-win season is an 11-win season. The Cavaliers took advantage of the schedule in front of them, won the games they needed to win and earned their trip to Charlotte. Good teams take advantage of favorable opportunities, and Virginia did exactly that. But when I went back and looked at last season, I do think the Cavaliers benefited from a path that was a little more manageable than what some other ACC contenders faced. That doesn't take away from what they accomplished. It just makes me wonder: Can they do it again? I'm not predicting Virginia to fall off a cliff. I still have the Cavaliers at 7-5 and bowl eligible. I have them losing to West Virginia in Charlotte, at Florida State, at SMU, and then comes one that could certainly haunt this Duke writer: Duke at Virginia on a Friday night in Charlottesville. I'm taking the Blue Devils. Virginia will undoubtedly remember losing to Duke in last season's ACC Championship Game. This was probably a 50/50 pick for me, but I'm riding with Duke. Then comes the finale: Virginia at Virginia Tech. I'm taking the Hokies. I believe the balance of power in Commonwealth football could begin shifting back toward Blacksburg. ⚔️ My Prediction: 7-5 Virginia is still a bowl team and still a good football team. I'm just predicting a step backward from last year's 11-win run. If the Cavaliers make another trip to Charlotte, I'll come back to this article and take the loss. 😂 No. 7 Duke Blue Devils Projected Record: 8-4 | Bowl Eligible And now we arrive at the team I write about, the team I cover, and probably the team many of you reading Blue Devils Blog came here to see: Duke Football. I have the Blue Devils at No. 7 on my preseason ballot, and I'm projecting another successful season in Durham at 8-4. I'll admit it, I may be asking a lot. Duke lost quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate to Miami, and as I write this, the Blue Devils are still working through a quarterback battle. Those aren't small questions. But I'm still buying what Manny Diaz and this Duke program are building. Having Nate Sheppard back gives Duke a major piece to build the offense around. Revenge to Open the Season Duke opens against Tulane, and I'm starting the season with a little revenge. I'm taking Duke. Then comes my first loss: at Illinois. That's a difficult Big Ten road environment, and I'm giving Illinois the edge. That puts Duke at 1-1. Then I have the Blue Devils going on a run. Six Straight Wins I have Duke beating Stanford, William & Mary, at Georgia Tech, North Carolina, at Virginia and Boston College. Six straight. Georgia Tech scares me. Friday night at Virginia scares me. But I'm taking Duke in both. And yes, I've already written plenty about what I think could happen with the Bill Belichick circus in Chapel Hill. Give me Duke over UNC in Durham. Then the Schedule Bites Back First comes NC State in Raleigh. Last season Duke swept the in-state competition and could proudly call itself the best college football team in North Carolina. This time? I think NC State gets its revenge. Then comes the pick I enjoyed making the least: Duke at Miami. Yeah, I'm taking Miami. Mensah and Barkate will be standing on the opposite sideline, which should make that game fascinating. But after going through Miami's roster and schedule, I just can't talk myself into picking Duke in this one. Then comes Clemson at Duke on a Friday night in Durham. I went back and forth on this one, but ultimately I'm giving Clemson the edge. That gives Duke three straight losses after its six-game winning streak. Then the Blue Devils finish the regular season at Wake Forest. Give me Duke. 💙 My Prediction: 8-4 Is eight wins optimistic considering the quarterback uncertainty and the losses of Mensah and Barkate? Maybe. But Duke Football has earned some benefit of the doubt. Over the past several seasons, the Blue Devils have continually exceeded outside expectations. And that brings me to one number: 5.5. That's the preseason Over/Under regular-season win total I've seen for Duke. Duke has made a habit of outperforming Vegas expectations in recent years. Give me the OVER again. Maybe I'm drinking a little too much Duke Kool-Aid here, but I've got the Blue Devils at 8-4 and bowl eligible once again. No. 6 NC State Wolfpack Projected Record: 8-4 | Bowl Eligible We have reached No. 6, and here's a team that could make my prediction look a little too conservative: NC State. I have the Wolfpack finishing 8-4, but I can see a path where NC State wins more than eight games and becomes one of the surprise teams in the ACC. The opener is one of those games I could go back and forth on. I'm taking Virginia, but I could very easily see NC State starting the season with a win. Then comes one where I might really be reaching. Appalachian State Upsets NC State Yep. I'm doing it. I have Appalachian State beating NC State in Raleigh. I know. This could come back to haunt me. 😂 Maybe I'm trying to get a little too cute. Maybe NC State wins comfortably and I look ridiculous. But I'm sticking with it. I also have the Wolfpack losing to Louisville at home. Then NC State gets rolling. Five Straight Wins I have the Wolfpack ripping off five consecutive victories, including one Duke fans probably aren't going to love: NC State over Duke in Raleigh. Duke swept the in-state competition last season. I don't think the Wolfpack have forgotten. This time NC State gets Duke at home, and I'm taking the Pack. Eventually, I have the winning streak ending at Florida State. Then comes rivalry weekend. NC State Beats North Carolina NC State at North Carolina. Chapel Hill. I'm taking the Wolfpack. 🐺 My Prediction: 8-4 Here's the thing with NC State: Don't be surprised if I'm too low. If the Wolfpack win the opener, if my App State upset prediction turns out to be me getting too creative, and if they protect home field against Louisville, suddenly we're talking about a team that could find itself right in the middle of the ACC Championship race. The ceiling could be considerably higher. No. 5 Virginia Tech Hokies Projected Record: 9-3 | Higher-Tier Bowl We've officially reached my Top Five, and if you read my ACC Stock Market article, this shouldn't surprise you. I'm buying Virginia Tech stock. I'm bullish on the Hokies, and I think the return could start arriving immediately. I have Virginia Tech finishing 9-3 in James Franklin's first season in Blacksburg. Yes, I'm buying in that quickly. Five Straight Wins I have Virginia Tech opening the season with five straight victories. If that happens, Blacksburg is going to be rocking. Then comes the first loss, and if you've been following these predictions, you know exactly where we're going: Berkeley. Another Victim of the Calgorithm Virginia Tech travels across the country to play California, and I'm taking Cal. Yep, the Calgorithm strikes again. 😂 Throw in the possibility of Cal After Dark, cross-country travel and the time-zone change, and this feels like the kind of weird road game that can trip up a really good team. Virginia Tech then beats Georgia Tech before heading to Clemson. I'm taking Clemson there, but I'm not particularly comfortable doing it. My Big Virginia Tech Upset Pick Then comes one of my favorite predictions of the entire article: Virginia Tech at SMU. SMU is my No. 2 team in the conference, and they're getting this game at home, so logically I probably should be taking the Mustangs. So naturally, I'm picking Virginia Tech. 😂 Call it my surprise pick. Hokies over SMU on the road. Virginia Tech then beats Stanford before heading to Miami. That's where I have the Hokies suffering their third and final loss. Then comes the perfect ending to James Franklin's first regular season: Virginia at Virginia Tech. Lane Stadium. Rivalry weekend. Commonwealth Cup. I'm taking the Hokies. 🦃 My Prediction: 9-3 Nine wins, a road upset over SMU, a Commonwealth Cup victory and a higher-tier bowl would make for one heck of a first season under James Franklin. Would Virginia Tech fans take that? I'm guessing the answer is yes. 😂 No. 4 Louisville Cardinals Projected Record: 9-3 | Higher-Tier ACC Bowl At No. 4, I have Louisville. I see the Cardinals finishing 9-3, competing near the top of the ACC and earning a trip to one of the conference's better bowl destinations. But the season doesn't begin easily. Louisville opens against Ole Miss in Nashville, and I'm giving Ole Miss the edge. The Cardinals bounce back against Villanova, but then comes SMU at Louisville. I'm taking SMU. That leaves Louisville sitting at 1-2. Then I think the Cardinals take off. Five Straight Wins After the SMU loss, I have Louisville ripping off five consecutive victories. That's when Louisville establishes itself as one of the better teams in the ACC. Then comes another one of my strange picks. Georgia Tech Gets Louisville Yep. I have No. 12 Georgia Tech beating No. 4 Louisville. Remember what I've said. I don't necessarily think Georgia Tech is the 12th-most talented team in the ACC. I think Georgia Tech has a brutal schedule. Brent Key's team is still dangerous. Louisville travels to Atlanta, and I'm calling the upset. Maybe this is the game that makes my Georgia Tech at No. 12 prediction look ridiculous. 😂 Louisville responds by finishing with three straight victories: at North Carolina, vs. Pitt and at Kentucky. 🐦 My Prediction: 9-3 A 9-3 season would put Louisville right near the top of the conference and into one of the ACC's better bowl games. And there's upside beyond that. If Louisville avoids my Georgia Tech upset or beats SMU at home, we could easily be talking about a 10-win team and an ACC Championship contender. No. 3 Clemson Tigers Projected Record: 9-3 | Higher-Tier ACC Bowl At No. 3, I have Clemson. After calling Clemson both a Bull and Bear stock in my ACC Stock Market article, I guess I'm leaning a little more toward the Bull. 📈 At least for now. I have Clemson bouncing back and finishing 9-3. That's an improvement, but here's what's interesting about Clemson Football: there was a time when 9-3 would have felt like a major disappointment in Death Valley. I'm not predicting Clemson gets completely back to its dynasty level in 2026, but I do think the Tigers take a step in that direction. Another LSU Loss Unfortunately for Clemson fans, I have the season starting with a loss: Clemson at LSU. Baton Rouge. Death Valley vs. Death Valley. I'm taking LSU. But Clemson responds with three straight wins, and one of those comes in a place where I've spent this entire article warning ACC teams about going. Clemson Survives the Calgorithm 😂 Clemson at California. I've already sacrificed Pitt and Virginia Tech to the Calgorithm. Apparently even the Calgorithm has limits. I'm taking Clemson. Maybe Dabo found the antidote. 😂 Then comes Miami at Clemson. I'm taking Miami, even in Death Valley. Five Straight Wins After the Miami loss, Clemson goes on its best run with five straight victories. That includes Virginia Tech at Clemson, a pick I'm not particularly comfortable with. It includes a win at Florida State, and Clemson gets Georgia Tech as well. Then comes rivalry weekend. South Carolina Gets Clemson I'm taking the Gamecocks. That leaves Clemson at 9-3. 🐅 My Prediction: 9-3 A 9-3 season would be a significant improvement and put Clemson back into one of the ACC's better bowl games. But by the standard Dabo Swinney created at Clemson, there would still be a question hanging over the program. Is nine wins the beginning of another climb toward the top, or is nine wins simply what Clemson is now? We'll find out. No. 2 SMU Mustangs Projected Record: 10-2 | College Football Playoff We've made it to No. 2, and I'm not backing away from my SMU stock. I have the Mustangs finishing 10-2 and heading back to the College Football Playoff. That's how bullish I am on SMU. Eight Straight Wins I have SMU coming out of the gates and winning its first eight games. At 8-0, the Mustangs wouldn't simply be in the ACC Championship conversation. They'd be firmly in the College Football Playoff discussion. I've already picked SMU to go into Louisville and win. After eight straight victories, the question becomes: Can anybody in the ACC stop them? Well, I found somebody. 😂 Here Come the Hokies Virginia Tech at SMU. I've warned you throughout this article. I'm bullish on Virginia Tech. Maybe I'm too bullish, but I'm planting the flag. Hokies win. An 8-0 SMU team at home, and I'm taking Virginia Tech. That's one of the boldest predictions in this entire article. Notre Dame Hands SMU Loss No. 2 SMU's second loss comes at Notre Dame. I'm taking the Fighting Irish. And you'll hear more about Notre Dame when I reveal my College Football Playoff predictions because I have the Irish in my playoff field. That gives SMU two losses, but here's the important part: I'm not knocking them out of the playoff. 🐎 My Prediction: 10-2, CFP BOUND A 10-2 regular season would put SMU among the best teams in the ACC and send the Mustangs back to the College Football Playoff. When SMU entered this conference, there were plenty of questions about how quickly the Mustangs could compete. I think they've already answered them. They have the resources. They have the booster support. They have the commitment. And most importantly, they're winning football games. I'm putting SMU in the College Football Playoff. No. 1 Miami Hurricanes Projected Record: 12-0 | ACC Championship Game | College Football Playoff And finally, we've reached No. 1. No hedging here. No "maybe." No "they could." I'm going all-in on Miami. I have the Hurricanes finishing the 2026 regular season 12-0, undefeated and headed to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. Regardless of what happens in Charlotte, I believe Miami will be heading to the College Football Playoff. That's how bullish I am on the Hurricanes. Miami Has the Weapons There are plenty of reasons I like Miami, but let's start with the obvious: look at the offensive weapons. Quarterback. Wide receiver. Running back. Miami has assembled the type of offense that I believe can compete with anybody in the country. And us Duke fans certainly know a couple of the names now wearing orange and green: Darian Mensah at quarterback and Cooper Barkate at wide receiver. Two major pieces from last season's ACC Championship-winning Duke team are now playing for one of Duke's biggest competitors. As a Duke guy? Yeah, that still stings a little. But I'm making these predictions with my head rather than my heart. When I look at Miami's roster, I see a team built to make a serious run. Winning at Clemson Here's where my prediction gets aggressive: Miami at Clemson. Death Valley. I'm taking the Hurricanes. I've got Clemson No. 3, so I certainly respect the Tigers. But if Miami is going to be the team I think it is, this is the type of game the Hurricanes need to win. And I think they do. Miami Wins at Notre Dame Then comes one of the biggest games of the season: Miami at Notre Dame. Here's what makes my prediction even more interesting: I have Notre Dame in my College Football Playoff field too. So I'm not picking Miami to beat a team I think is overrated. I'm picking Miami to go on the road and beat another team I believe is one of the best in the country. Give me the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech Comes to Miami I've spent plenty of time talking up Virginia Tech. I've got the Hokies at No. 5. I've got them winning nine games. I've got them upsetting SMU. But I'm not bullish enough to take them over Miami, especially in Miami. Give me the Hurricanes. And Yes, Duke Has to Play Them Too Eventually Duke has to see Miami. Mensah. Barkate. Facing their former team. There will be plenty of storylines. I'd love to tell you I'm picking Duke. I'm not. I've got Miami winning that one too. Sometimes covering Duke means admitting when you believe the other team is simply better, and in 2026, I think Miami is better. 🙌 My Prediction: 12-0 There it is. My biggest prediction of the entire countdown. Miami finishes the regular season undefeated. 12-0. No. 1 in the ACC. ACC Championship Game bound. College Football Playoff bound. For years we've heard some version of the same question: "Is Miami finally back?" I'm not interested in asking it anymore. My prediction is that Miami answers it on the field. 🏆 2026 ACC Championship Game Prediction Miami vs. SMU | Charlotte, North Carolina After going through all 17 teams, my ACC Championship Game comes down to the same two programs I placed at the top of my preseason ballot: No. 1 Miami vs. No. 2 SMU. I have Miami arriving in Charlotte undefeated at 12-0, while SMU comes in at 10-2 after another outstanding regular season. Both teams are already in my College Football Playoff field, but when it comes time to decide the ACC Championship, I'm riding with Miami one more time. I've spent this entire countdown talking about how much I like the Hurricanes. I have them winning at Clemson. I have them winning at Notre Dame. I have them beating Virginia Tech. I have them beating Duke. After surviving the regular season undefeated, I'm certainly not jumping off the bandwagon in Charlotte. SMU will present problems. I've got the Mustangs winning 10 games for a reason, but ultimately I think Miami has too many weapons. The Hurricanes pull away and capture the ACC Championship. 🏆 ACC Championship Prediction Miami 38, SMU 24 2026 ACC Champions: Miami Hurricanes That sends Miami into the College Football Playoff at 13-0 as ACC Champions. And don't feel too bad for SMU. At 10-3 with an ACC Championship Game appearance, I still have the Mustangs heading to the College Football Playoff. That's right. I'm predicting TWO ACC teams in the CFP.  📊 My 2026 ACC Predictions at a Glance 🏆 ACC Champion: Miami 🥈 ACC Runner-Up: SMU 📊 ACC Championship: Miami 38, SMU 24 🎟️ College Football Playoff: Miami & SMU 💙 Duke: 8-4, Bowl Bound 🔥 Sleeper: Virginia Tech (9-3) 😬 Pick Most Likely to Haunt Me: Georgia Tech at No. 12 🌙 Calgorithm Victims: Pitt & Virginia Tech 😂 Final Thoughts So there it is. All 17 ACC teams. Plenty of predictions and probably more than a few that somebody will remind me about in December. 😂 That's the fun of doing this before anybody has played a game. Right now, we're all undefeated. We can study schedules, analyze rosters, look at transfers and coaching changes and convince ourselves we know exactly what's going to happen. Then college football starts, and everything gets weird. Maybe Georgia Tech makes my No. 12 ranking look ridiculous. Maybe Virginia wins another 10 or 11 games. Maybe my Calgorithm crashes. Maybe James Franklin has Virginia Tech competing for an ACC Championship even sooner than I expect. Maybe Duke makes another run toward Charlotte. Or maybe Miami really does go 12-0 and becomes one of the best teams in the country. We'll find out soon enough. For now, I'm sticking with my picks. Miami wins the ACC. Miami and SMU make the College Football Playoff. Duke goes 8-4 and beats the Vegas Over again. And somewhere late at night in Berkeley... The Calgorithm is waiting. 😂 Next up on Blue Devils Blog, I'll dive even deeper into Duke's 2026 season, including my complete game-by-game look at the Blue Devils and where I believe Duke could be heading for bowl season. Football is almost here. Let's get this season started.  If there is one thing Jon Scheyer isn't doing with Duke Basketball, it's taking the easy road to March. Duke's 2026-27 non-conference schedule is absolutely loaded with big-time matchups, tough road environments and games that should have a national spotlight.
We are talking UConn in Las Vegas, Florida in Gainesville, Illinois inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, Michigan State in the Champions Classic and Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden. Somehow, a February matchup against Gonzaga in Detroit doesn't even crack my top five. Think about that for a second. When a game against Gonzaga, played in the same city that will host the 2027 Final Four, doesn't make the list, you know Duke has put together one heck of a non-conference schedule. That's before we even get to the preseason. Duke will welcome Tennessee to Cameron Indoor Stadium on October 20 for an exhibition after beating the Volunteers 83-76 in Knoxville last preseason. Five days later, the Blue Devils will travel to one of college basketball's bucket-list venues, Allen Fieldhouse, for an October 25 exhibition against Kansas. Scheyer isn't hiding this team from anybody. He's putting together a gauntlet that should have the Blue Devils tested and ready when March rolls around. With so many great games to choose from, here are my top five Duke non-conference games for the 2026-27 season. 5. Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden December 21 | Madison Square Garden | New York City You could easily convince me to flip No. 4 and No. 5 on this list, but I'm putting Texas Tech at No. 5. There is definitely some unfinished business here. Duke entered last season's matchup with Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden undefeated. For a while, it looked like the Blue Devils were going to stay that way. Texas Tech stormed back and stunned Duke 82-81, handing the Blue Devils their first loss of the season. Christian Anderson scored 27 points for the Red Raiders, while Duke's final attempt at the buzzer wouldn't fall. Now we get the rematch. Same opponent, same month and the same building. Madison Square Garden has almost become a second home for Duke Basketball over the years. Duke fans have even given it the nickname "Cameron North." You can bet the Blue Devils will remember exactly what happened there against Texas Tech last December. A rematch against the team that handed Duke its first loss last season, played at Cameron North? That's more than enough to make my top five. 4. Michigan State in the Champions Classic November 10 | United Center | Chicago The Champions Classic always seems to deliver. Duke, Michigan State, Kansas and Kentucky are four of the biggest brands in college basketball, and putting them together on the same night creates one of the first major events of every college basketball season. This year Duke draws Michigan State at the United Center in Chicago, and this could easily be one of the first major measuring-stick games of the season for the Blue Devils. Tom Izzo will have his Spartans ready. That's basically a guarantee. Michigan State is expected to once again be one of the better teams in the country, which gives you an idea of the type of matchup we could be looking at in Chicago. Depending on where the preseason polls land, this could potentially be a Top 10 matchup. Duke versus Michigan State. Scheyer versus Izzo. The Champions Classic in Chicago. There is a lot to like about this one, and I could easily see it moving higher on my list once November arrives. 3. Illinois at Cameron Indoor Stadium November 17 | Cameron Indoor Stadium | Durham I expect Cameron Indoor Stadium to be absolutely rocking for this one. Illinois isn't just another quality Big Ten opponent coming into Durham. The Illini are coming off a trip to the 2026 Final Four and are expected to be right back among the best teams in college basketball this season. ESPN currently has Illinois ranked No. 3 in its Way-Too-Early Top 25. There is also some recent history between these two programs. Duke absolutely dominated Illinois 110-67 at Madison Square Garden in February 2025, winning by 43 points in what became the largest Duke victory ever at the Garden. That game was two seasons ago, but I would imagine Brad Underwood and the Illini haven't completely forgotten about it. Now Illinois gets another shot at Duke, but this time the Illini have to walk into Cameron Indoor Stadium. Coming off a Final Four appearance and currently projected as one of the top teams in the country, Illinois should give the Cameron Crazies plenty to get excited about. This is exactly the type of non-conference home game I love seeing Duke schedule. ESPN currently has Duke No. 2 and Illinois No. 3. If those expectations hold, we could be looking at one of the biggest non-conference games at Cameron. Cameron could be absolutely electric. 2. Duke at Florida December 1 | Gainesville, Florida | ACC/SEC Challenge Remember last year's game? Florida came into Cameron as the defending 2025 national champion, and Duke escaped with an incredible 67-66 victory. Cameron Boozer scored 29 points, and Isaiah Evans buried the go-ahead three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining. It felt like March basketball in December. At the time, I remember thinking we could be watching a preview of a possible NCAA Tournament showdown between Duke and Florida. That rematch never happened in March, but we're getting another shot at it this season. The big difference is that this time Duke has to go into Gainesville. Florida should once again be loaded. ESPN currently has the Gators ranked No. 1 in its Way-Too-Early Top 25, with Duke sitting right behind them at No. 2. Think about what we could have here. Duke at Florida. No. 1 versus No. 2. ACC versus SEC. A rematch of last season's one-point thriller at Cameron. Obviously, a lot can happen between now and December 1, but the potential is there for this to be one of the biggest games of the entire non-conference college basketball season. Duke won round one in Cameron. Now the Blue Devils have to head into Gainesville and try to do it again. 1. Duke vs. UConn in Las Vegas November 25 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas There wasn't much debate for me at No. 1 because there are simply too many layers to this game. Duke versus UConn in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Eve would already be one of the biggest games on Duke's schedule. Add what happened in Washington, D.C., last March and this one hits a little differently. Duke fans don't need much of a reminder. The Blue Devils were one victory away from the Final Four in the 2026 Elite Eight and appeared to be in complete control against UConn. Duke led by 15 points at halftime and at one point pushed the lead to 19. Somehow, the season still ended that night. UConn fought all the way back before Braylon Mullins hit a stunning 35-footer in the final second, giving the Huskies a 73-72 victory and sending UConn to the Final Four. That's the type of loss Duke fans aren't going to forget anytime soon. The history between these programs goes much deeper than one night in Washington. Those of us who have followed Duke Basketball for several decades remember 1999. Duke entered the national championship game 37-1 and riding a 32-game winning streak before UConn stunned the Blue Devils 77-74 for the national title. Then came 2004. Duke led UConn late in the national semifinal before the Huskies rallied for a 79-78 victory. UConn went on to win another national championship. Now you can add 2026 to the list. Like it or not, I'm calling UConn what it is. The Huskies are a blue blood. UConn has won championships across multiple eras and has become one of the defining programs in modern college basketball. Duke and UConn have history, heartbreak and championships between them, and now another chapter is coming. Dan Hurley has never exactly been shy when it comes to Duke, either. Just in case this matchup needed another storyline, former Blue Devil Nik Khamenia transferred to UConn during the offseason. Khamenia played in all 38 games for Duke last season before making the move to Storrs. UConn has had Duke's number in some enormous NCAA Tournament moments. There was 1999, then 2004 and now 2026. Duke finally gets another shot at the Huskies, only this time we're trading March Madness for Sin City. T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Thanksgiving Eve. Two blue bloods. A recent Elite Eight heartbreak. A former Blue Devil wearing UConn colors. There are just too many storylines for any other game to take the top spot. I expect Duke to be hyped for this one, and that's why Duke versus UConn in Sin City is easily my No. 1 non-conference game of the season. Gonzaga Didn't Even Make My Top Five Maybe the best way to explain just how loaded Duke's non-conference schedule is this season is to look at the game that didn't make my list. On February 20, Duke will play Gonzaga at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. That's a major national matchup on its own, but there's another interesting part to this game. The 2027 Final Four will also be played in Detroit at Ford Field. Getting an opportunity to play a major neutral-site game in the same city that will host the Final Four certainly can't hurt. Gonzaga isn't exactly a tune-up, either. Yet somehow I'm leaving this game outside my top five. That tells you everything you need to know about this schedule. Scheyer Is Building Duke for March There's a bigger picture to all of this. Before the regular season even begins, Duke will face Tennessee at Cameron and travel to Allen Fieldhouse to play Kansas in preseason exhibitions. Once the games start counting, Duke will see Michigan State, Illinois, UConn, Florida, Texas Tech and eventually Gonzaga. That's not scheduling to protect an undefeated November record. That's scheduling to find out what your team is made of. Duke will play elite teams at Cameron. The Blue Devils will go into hostile road environments. They'll play major neutral-site games in Chicago and Las Vegas. They'll return to Madison Square Garden, a building that has become a second home for the program. Then in February, they'll head to Detroit, the same city where every team in college basketball hopes its season eventually ends. Jon Scheyer has built a non-conference gauntlet. With a schedule like this, there may be some bumps along the way. That's almost unavoidable. But Duke's goal isn't to be perfect in November and December. The goal is to be ready in March. If the Blue Devils eventually find themselves back in Detroit for the 2027 Final Four, we may look back at this brutal non-conference schedule as one of the reasons they were ready when they got there.  The calendar may only say August, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead to another season of Duke Basketball. Duke released its complete 2026-27 non-conference schedule, and once again Jon Scheyer isn’t exactly taking the easy road to get his Blue Devils ready for March. From Cameron Indoor Stadium to Chicago, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Gainesville, Madison Square Garden and eventually Detroit, Duke will see plenty of big stages before postseason basketball arrives. And that doesn’t even include a pair of pretty interesting exhibition games. It Starts Before the Games Even Count Duke will get things started with three exhibition games in October, beginning with Belmont at Cameron Indoor Stadium on October 8. Things get a little more interesting after that, with Tennessee coming to Cameron on October 20 before Duke heads to Lawrence on October 25 to face Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. Yes, it’s only an exhibition game. But Duke-Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse is still Duke-Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. For a Duke team trying to figure out exactly what it has before the regular season begins, Scheyer should learn quite a bit before the first game even counts. The Schedule Gets Serious Quickly After opening the regular season at home against Army on November 2 and Coastal Carolina on November 5, Duke won't have to wait long for its first major test. Michigan State in the Champions Classic awaits on November 10 in Chicago. SIU-Edwardsville comes to Cameron three days later before what could be one of the best home games on Duke's schedule when Illinois visits Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 17. Then comes one of the more interesting stretches of the non-conference schedule. Duke will head west to face Washington State in Palm Springs on November 21 before traveling to Las Vegas to take on UConn on November 25. That's a pretty good way to spend Thanksgiving week if you're a college basketball fan. Scheyer Is Taking Duke on the Road One thing that really jumps out when looking at this schedule is just how much of the country Duke will see. Chicago. Palm Springs. Las Vegas. Gainesville. New York. Detroit. There are plenty of games inside Cameron, but Scheyer is also giving his team opportunities to play away from home in different environments against some really good basketball teams. The December schedule includes perhaps the toughest true road game of the bunch when Duke travels to Gainesville to face Florida on December 1. Harvard comes to Cameron on December 4 before Duke heads north for the first of two trips to a familiar building. A Couple Trips to “Cameron North” Duke fans will get plenty of opportunities to see the Blue Devils in one of their favorite home-away-from-home venues, Madison Square Garden. Duke will make two trips to Madison Square Garden during the non-conference schedule, beginning with Georgia in the Jimmy V Classic on December 8. After home games against Campbell and Grambling State, Duke heads right back to New York to face Texas Tech at MSG on December 21. And wouldn't you know it, Madison Square Garden will also be the home of the East Regional of the 2027 NCAA Tournament, with the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight being played there March 26 and 28. Or as Duke fans have called it over the years, Cameron North. Obviously, there is no guarantee Duke's NCAA Tournament path will run through New York. But you have to like what Scheyer is doing with this schedule. His team will get two opportunities to play under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden months before the NCAA Tournament arrives there. And MSG isn't the only city on Duke's schedule that could become pretty important next spring. Could Duke See Detroit Twice? There's one non-conference game sitting way out there in February that is hard to overlook. Duke will face Gonzaga in Detroit on February 20 at Little Caesars Arena. By then the Blue Devils will be deep into the ACC schedule, making a late-season non-conference game against Gonzaga an interesting change of pace. But take a look a little further down the calendar. The road to the 2027 National Championship will eventually end in Detroit, with the Final Four and National Championship game being played at Ford Field in April. Coincidence? Maybe. But there is certainly something to be said for getting your players comfortable traveling to these cities, staying in the hotels, playing in NBA arenas and experiencing the atmosphere that comes with big-time neutral-site basketball. Scheyer has shown he isn't afraid to put Duke in those environments during the regular season. If everything breaks right for Duke next March, perhaps the Blue Devils will make three trips to New York and two trips to Detroit before the season is over. The first trips will be during the regular season. Duke would certainly love the reason for the return trips. Another Schedule Built for March Scheyer has never seemed particularly interested in building a non-conference schedule just to pile up wins. This one certainly isn't that. There are manageable games mixed throughout, but there are also trips to Allen Fieldhouse and Gainesville, neutral-site games against Michigan State, Washington State, UConn, Georgia, Texas Tech and Gonzaga, plus Illinois coming into Cameron. It's a schedule that will take Duke all over the country and put the Blue Devils in plenty of uncomfortable situations. That's probably exactly the point. Somewhere between October and February, Scheyer should learn just about everything he needs to know about his basketball team. And if Duke is where it wants to be when March rolls around, the Blue Devils may look back at this schedule as part of what got them there. They may even find themselves returning to a couple of these cities along the way.  ACC Football Stock Market: Which Teams Are Bull Stocks, Bear Stocks, and Worth Buying in 2026?8/5/2026  It has been a while since I've updated Blue Devils Blog.
Summer break was a short one this year, but it was packed with some incredible memories. I managed to squeeze in several hikes, plus an unforgettable trip to Philadelphia for the FIFA World Cup match between Brazil and Haiti. That trip alone was worth it. Seeing the Rocky Statue, catching a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, and grabbing an authentic Philly cheesesteak at Reading Terminal Market made for an awesome sports weekend. But the main event was Brazil vs. Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field. The atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Soccer fans are some of the most passionate fans in the world. After Brazil's victory, my wife and I rode the subway back to downtown Philadelphia packed shoulder-to-shoulder with Brazilian fans singing, dancing, and celebrating the entire ride. It is one of those sports memories that will stay with me forever. ...But enough about fútbol. We're here to talk football. More specifically... ACC Football. Unfortunately, I had to miss Duke's day at ACC Kickoff because I had to leave town early to close a business deal. Sometimes life gets in the way. Fortunately, I caught up on everything by watching ACC Kickoff coverage afterward and listening to several podcasts. And while I'm at it... If you're an ACC football fan and you're not listening to Ovies & Giglio, you're missing out. They do a tremendous job covering ACC athletics and are definitely worth adding to your podcast rotation. Now... It's time to get back on the Duke Report beat. For this article, I decided to combine two things I enjoy: Investing and ACC Football. A few weeks ago I submitted my official ACC preseason ballot. I'll be revealing my predicted order of finish, Duke's projected record, and my first bowl projection for the Blue Devils in upcoming articles. Today, though... We're looking at the conference through a completely different lens. If ACC football programs were publicly traded companies on Wall Street... Which teams would you buy? Which teams would you sell? Which teams are worth holding onto for the long haul? I selected ten ACC football programs and assigned each one a stock rating. 📈 Bull Stock — A program I'm bullish on for this season and/or the future. 📉 Bear Stock — A program trending in the wrong direction or carrying significant risk. ⚖️ Bull/Bear Stock — A program with enough positives and question marks that investors could make a convincing case either way. So grab your portfolio... The opening bell is ringing. Let's open the ACC Stock Exchange. 📈 Duke Football — Bull Stock: A Growth Stock to Buy and Hold Let's start with the team many of you probably came here to read about... Duke Football. I'm bullish on the Blue Devils and view Duke as one of the ACC's best long-term growth stocks. The foundation built in Durham over the past several seasons is real, and I don't see it disappearing anytime soon. Duke is coming off a season to remember, capturing the ACC Championship with a win over Virginia in Charlotte before finishing the year with a victory over Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Success like that doesn't happen by accident. It starts with leadership. As long as Manny Diaz is leading the program, David Feeley continues pushing players "through the sewer" with one of the nation's premier strength and conditioning programs, and Nina King remains committed to investing in Duke Football, I believe the Blue Devils are positioned to continue building on their recent success. Now before anyone says this is simply the Duke fan in me talking... Let's look at the investment objectively. Back-to-back nine-win seasons under Diaz have changed expectations around Duke Football. Simply making a bowl game is no longer considered a successful season. The standard has been raised. Duke now enters every season expecting to compete near the top of the ACC. Yes, the Blue Devils lost several key contributors from last year's championship team. That's modern college football. Every program is dealing with roster turnover. The difference is Duke has shown it can develop players, recruit high school talent, and use the transfer portal effectively enough to reload instead of rebuild. I'm not ready to reveal my official game-by-game predictions just yet. But I will say this... I fully expect Duke to be playing football again this December. More importantly... I believe Duke Football is building something sustainable rather than simply enjoying one magical season. 📈 Stock Rating: BUY and HOLD Duke may not be the ACC's flashiest stock... But it is one I'd be comfortable investing in for years to come. ⚖️ Clemson Tigers — Bull/Bear Stock: The Blue-Chip Company Trying to Prove It Still Has Value If there is one stock in the ACC that perfectly fits the phrase "Buy? Sell? Or Hold?" It's Clemson. Few programs in college football have built the résumé Clemson has under Dabo Swinney. Since 2015, the Tigers have become one of the sport's elite brands, winning two national championships, making seven College Football Playoff appearances, and capturing eight ACC Championships. That kind of success creates confidence. The Clemson brand still carries tremendous value. 📈 The Bull Case Even after a disappointing 7-6 season in 2025, the ACC media still projected Clemson to finish fourth in the 2026 preseason poll while receiving seven first-place votes. That tells me investors haven't completely abandoned the stock. The Tigers still have Dabo Swinney. They still recruit at a high level. They still have championship expectations. And Death Valley remains one of college football's toughest environments. 📉 The Bear Case This is where things become interesting. Clemson is no longer the automatic favorite it once was. Programs like Miami, SMU, and others have embraced NIL and the transfer portal more aggressively, while Clemson has remained committed to its traditional approach. Can that philosophy still win championships? Maybe. But for the first time in over a decade, investors are asking legitimate questions. Is Clemson still the company leading the market... Or is it living off its previous success? ⚖️ Stock Rating: HOLD (High Volatility) If you're investing based on history, recruiting, coaching stability, and championship pedigree... Clemson is an easy Buy. If you're investing based only on recent performance and the changing landscape of college football... There are enough warning signs to make you think twice. Clemson may be the ACC's only true Bull/Bear stock. A blue-chip company with an elite track record... Trying to prove its best days aren't behind it. 📈 Miami Hurricanes — Bull Stock: The ACC's Blue-Chip Investment If I am building my ACC stock portfolio... Miami is one of the very first stocks I am buying. And I'm buying as much as I can. The Hurricanes have everything investors look for: A national brand. Elite recruiting territory. Major financial resources. And a fan base that expects championships. After years of trying to return to national relevance, Miami finally looks like a program that has positioned itself to make a serious run. Us Duke fans know exactly who Miami added this offseason. The Hurricanes landed Darian Mensah at quarterback and picked up Cooper Barkate from last year's ACC Championship-winning Duke team as the transfer portal clock was winding down. Losing two championship-caliber players is never easy for Duke fans to see. But as a college football fan... You have to see what Miami added. Mensah gives the Hurricanes a quarterback with tremendous upside, while Barkate brings proven production from a Duke offense that helped lead the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship. Combined with the rest of Miami's roster... The Hurricanes have all the offensive firepower needed to compete with anyone in the country. The biggest reason I like this stock, though, is the schedule. Miami has one of the clearest paths to the College Football Playoff in the ACC. The biggest obstacle may come in early November when the Hurricanes travel to Notre Dame. That game will tell us plenty about Miami. But I don't view it as a must-win. Even with a loss in South Bend, I believe Miami would still have an excellent chance to reach the College Football Playoff if they simply take care of business throughout the rest of the ACC schedule. Once they reach the postseason... They have the roster capable of making a deep run. The other reason this stock is so valuable is Miami's brand. If conference realignment ever reshapes college football again, Miami will almost certainly be one of the ACC's most attractive programs for either the SEC or Big Ten. The Hurricanes have everything those conferences value. History. Recruiting. Television appeal. Resources. For now, though... Miami doesn't need to worry about conference realignment. They need to worry about winning football games. And I think they're going to win a lot of them. 📈 Stock Rating: STRONG BUY and HOLD Miami is one of the ACC's fastest-rising investments. If everything comes together... This stock could be headed straight for the College Football Playoff. 📈 SMU Mustangs — Bull Stock: A High-Risk, High-Reward Investment SMU is one of the ACC stocks I'm buying. Since joining the ACC, the Mustangs have wasted little time proving they belong. Instead of simply trying to survive in a new conference, SMU immediately challenged for the top of the league, reaching the ACC Championship Game in its first season as a member and showing it has both the coaching and financial resources to sustain success. What separates SMU from many programs isn't just the talent on the field. It's the commitment behind the scenes. The Mustangs have one of the strongest booster bases in the country, and that financial backing has allowed the program to invest aggressively in recruiting, facilities, and the transfer portal. In today's college football landscape... Resources matter. And SMU has plenty of them. Because of that, I believe the Mustangs have a legitimate chance to return to the ACC Championship Game this season and remain one of the conference's premier programs for years to come. But every stock has risk. For me, the biggest question surrounding SMU isn't football. It's conference realignment. If the ACC eventually loses schools to the SEC or Big Ten, where does SMU fit into the next version of college football? The Mustangs have the money. They have the ambition. They have a football program trending upward. But they don't yet carry the same national brand recognition as Clemson, Miami, or North Carolina. Would another power conference come calling? Or would SMU be left trying to find its place in a reshaped landscape? That is the one question that gives me pause. For now, though... I'm buying the stock and holding onto it. The upside is simply too great to ignore. 📈 Stock Rating: BUY and HOLD SMU is a high-upside investment with moderate long-term risk—not because of what happens on the football field, but because of what could happen around it. 📈 Virginia Tech Hokies — Bull Stock: The Turnaround Investment Ready to Rise Virginia Tech is one of my favorite sleeper stocks in the ACC. I'm buying this stock... And I'm expecting a return sooner rather than later. Even if the payoff doesn't fully come this season, I'm still investing in Virginia Tech for the long haul because I believe in the direction of the program under James Franklin. When you combine a proven head coach, a passionate fan base, and a community that lives and breathes Hokie football... The ingredients are there for a major turnaround. Let's not forget what Virginia Tech football was not that long ago. During the Frank Beamer era, especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Blacksburg became one of the toughest places to play in college football. The Hokies were winning ACC championships, playing in major bowl games, and competing on the national stage. That tradition has never disappeared. The passion surrounding Virginia Tech football remains one of the strongest in the ACC. The Blacksburg community, Southwest Virginia, and Hokie fans across the country continue to support this program at a solid level. The biggest question has simply been whether the football product can catch up to the passion. I believe James Franklin has the opportunity to change that. It may not happen overnight. It may not happen this season. But I believe Virginia Tech has the foundation to become a major player in the ACC again. And when Virginia Tech is winning... There may not be a better atmosphere in college football. Soon enough, I believe we'll hear "Enter Sandman" shaking Lane Stadium again—not just because it's one of the greatest entrances in sports, but because it will be backed up by a football team capable of competing at the highest level. I was confident enough in the Hokies that I voted Virginia Tech No. 5 on my ACC preseason ballot. 📈 Stock Rating: BUY Virginia Tech is a true growth stock. The return may not come overnight, but the combination of James Franklin, recruiting potential, tradition, and one of college football's strongest fan bases gives this stock tremendous upside. And if the Hokies start winning again... Don't be surprised if the momentum shifts back quickly in the Commonwealth Cup rivalry and Virginia Tech once again becomes the program everyone in Virginia has to deal with. 📈 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets — Bull Stock: A Rising Growth Stock With Market Risk Georgia Tech is one of the more fascinating stocks in the ACC market. A few years ago, this was a program many investors had written off. Today... That conversation has changed. Under head coach Brent Key, Georgia Tech has quietly become one of the ACC's best turnaround stories. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a strong 9-4 season, including an appearance in the always entertaining Pop-Tarts Bowl against BYU. Although the season ended with a loss, the bigger story was the continued improvement of a program that had been searching for consistency. The previous two seasons before that, Georgia Tech finished with seven wins. The arrow is clearly pointing upward. The biggest reason I'm buying this stock is simple. Brent Key has changed the culture. After spending time on Georgia Tech's coaching staff before taking over as head coach, Key understood exactly what needed to change in Atlanta. He brought back an identity built on toughness, physical football, and player development. In a relatively short period of time, Georgia Tech has gone from a team searching for answers to one that believes it can compete with anyone in the ACC. But just like every investment... There is risk. The biggest concern for Georgia Tech this season is the schedule. The Yellow Jackets face one of the tougher schedules in the conference. It begins with a tough Tennessee after playing Colorado. Ends with Georgia in Athens. And includes ACC games against Duke, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Louisville, and Clemson. That difficult path is why I placed Georgia Tech No. 12 on my ACC preseason ballot. However... The ACC media clearly sees something different. The Yellow Jackets were projected around fifth in the conference preseason poll, showing that many around the league believe this program is ready to take another step. That difference of opinion is exactly what makes Georgia Tech such an interesting investment. If the Yellow Jackets navigate this schedule and continue winning... This stock could rise quickly. Another successful season would prove last year's breakthrough wasn't a one-year spike. It would show Georgia Tech is building something sustainable. And if there is one coach capable of preparing his team for a difficult schedule... It just might be Brent Key. 📈 Stock Rating: BUY and HOLD Georgia Tech is a growth stock with real upside. I'm not quite ready to call the Yellow Jackets an ACC Championship contender. But they're no longer trying to become relevant. They're becoming a team the rest of the ACC has to respect. The stock is climbing. And smart investors are paying attention. ⚖️ Virginia Cavaliers — Bull/Bear Stock: A Momentum Stock Under Review Virginia may be the hardest stock to evaluate in the entire ACC. Are the Cavaliers a rising program ready to become a yearly contender? Or was last season simply the perfect combination of an experienced roster, a favorable schedule, and timely wins? That's why Virginia lands squarely in my Bull/Bear category. There is no denying what the Cavaliers accomplished. Virginia finished with an impressive 11-win season, reached the ACC Championship Game, and capped the year with a Gator Bowl victory over Missouri. No matter how you slice it... Eleven wins is eleven wins. Tony Elliott deserves plenty of credit for getting Virginia football back into the national conversation. Of course, Duke fans remember how that ACC Championship Game ended. The Blue Devils walked away with the trophy. But now the question becomes... Can Virginia do it again? When I looked back over last year's schedule, I couldn't help but notice the Cavaliers benefited from a fairly favorable path. Now, good teams are supposed to beat the teams on their schedule. Virginia did exactly that. But can they repeat that success against a more difficult slate? That is what investors are trying to determine. The ACC media certainly believes Virginia is trending upward, voting the Cavaliers 6th in the preseason poll. I wasn't quite as bullish. I placed Virginia 8th on my preseason ballot. The schedule should answer a lot of questions early. The season opener against NC State in Charlottesville immediately caught my attention. I believe the winner of that game has a legitimate chance to become one of the ACC's surprise contenders. Then comes one of the games I'm looking forward to most. A Friday night showdown in Charlottesville against Duke. A rematch of last year's ACC Championship Game. We'll find out very quickly whether Virginia has truly closed the gap. And then... The season ends with one of college football's most underrated rivalries. The Commonwealth Cup in Blacksburg. If Virginia Tech continues trending upward under James Franklin, that rivalry could become must-watch football again. ⚖️ Stock Rating: HOLD / Cautious BUY I'm not selling Virginia. The Cavaliers have momentum. They have confidence. They have stability. But I also want to see one more season before I'm ready to declare them a true long-term Bull Stock. This investment still has something to prove. 📉 North Carolina Tar Heels — Bear Stock: Sell... Unless You're Playing the Long Game If you're looking for a quick return... I'm selling North Carolina stock. And I'm selling fast. Year one of the Bill Belichick era turned into exactly the kind of volatility investors hate. The preseason hype surrounding the "33rd NFL team" quickly disappeared after a disappointing 4-8 season. The wins never came. The headlines never stopped. Whether it was the attention surrounding Belichick and Jordon Hudson... His sometimes uncomfortable relationship with the media... Or the recent news surrounding General Manager Michael Lombardi... It seemed like North Carolina could never stay out of the spotlight. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels... Most of that spotlight wasn't about football. From an investment standpoint, UNC is easily one of the ACC's most volatile stocks. If you're investing over the next year or two... I'm selling. There are simply too many unanswered questions surrounding the coaching situation, the direction of the program, and whether the Belichick experiment ultimately succeeds. But... If you're thinking three, five, or even ten years down the road... The conversation changes. North Carolina remains one of the premier brands in college athletics. Outstanding facilities. Excellent recruiting territory. A recognizable national brand. And if conference realignment reshapes college football again... I believe UNC will be one of the very first ACC schools the Big Ten or SEC calls. That alone gives the stock value. Personally... I don't think the current circus defines North Carolina football forever. Whether Belichick lasts one more season or five... Eventually someone else will lead this program. And when that happens... UNC has every resource needed to become nationally relevant again. 📉 Stock Rating: SELL if you're investing short term. HOLD if you're investing for the next decade. 📈 California Golden Bears — Bull Stock: The Investment My Heart Refuses to Sell Every investor has that one stock. The one that maybe doesn't make perfect sense. But you refuse to sell because... You just like it. For me... That's California. Maybe it's the Calgorithm. Maybe it's Berkeley. Maybe it's the uniforms. Maybe it's simply because I still laugh every time I remember California is somehow playing football in the... Atlantic Coast Conference. Or should I say... The All Coast Conference. Whatever the reason... I'm buying Cal stock. Now let's be honest. This isn't necessarily the safest investment in the ACC. There are probably ten safer football investments. But investing isn't always about spreadsheets. Sometimes... It's about believing in potential. And there are football reasons to like this team. First... Never underestimate Cal After Dark. Those late-night games in Berkeley are going to create problems for ACC teams flying nearly 3,000 miles across the country. The travel. The time zones. The atmosphere. Everything favors California. And then there's quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Every successful stock needs a catalyst. I think Cal found theirs. A difference-maker at quarterback can completely change a football program. I believe Sagapolutele alone wins California a couple of games they otherwise might have lost. Can Cal win the ACC? Probably not. Can they ruin someone else's season? Absolutely. I compare California to owning Chipotle stock. I eat there more than I probably should. Even when the stock dips... I never sell. Because I believe in it. That's California football. 📈 Stock Rating: BUY and HOLD Not because my head says so... Because my heart does. 📉 Stanford Cardinal — Bear Stock: The Million-Dollar Company That Forgot About Football First off... Nothing but love for the West Coast. I enjoy visiting California. And Stanford is one of the most prestigious universities anywhere in the world. But when it comes to ACC football... I have to call it like I see it. Stanford is a stock I'm looking to sell. Or at the very least... One I'm keeping on a very short leash. The biggest question is simple. What exactly is Stanford's long-term plan? When Stanford, California, and SMU joined the ACC, college football officially entered its "nothing makes sense anymore" era. A school sitting nearly 3,000 miles away is now competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. From a football standpoint... The investment hasn't paid off. What's fascinating is Stanford has resources that most universities can only dream about. One of the largest university endowments in America. A world-famous academic brand. Elite facilities. Prestige. Everything... Except consistent football success. That's what makes this stock so frustrating. The potential is enormous. If Stanford ever decides to fully invest in football... The ceiling is incredibly high. Maybe that's exactly what the ACC was betting on when it invited the Cardinal into the conference. Maybe the conference wasn't buying today's football team. Maybe it was buying the Stanford brand. Even now... Someone in the ACC media believed enough to give Stanford a first-place vote lol! So there are still believers. Personally... I'm not there yet. 📉 Stock Rating: SELL / WATCH LIST Stanford has unlimited resources. But until those resources consistently translate into football success... I'm staying on the sidelines. 🔔 Closing Bell: The ACC Stock Market Report And there you have it... The closing bell has officially sounded on my first-ever ACC Football Stock Market Report. I know... I only covered 10 ACC teams. But let's be honest... Not every stock deserves a full Wall Street analysis. Some programs are still trying to find their market value. Some are rebuilding. Some simply don't have enough information yet to make a confident investment. The ten teams I chose are the ones I believe have the biggest stories entering the 2026 season. Some are championship contenders. Some are rising growth stocks. Some are blue-chip investments. Some are turnaround stories. And a few... Well... They may leave investors wondering why they ever bought in. That's what makes college football so much fun. Unlike the stock market, where earnings reports and quarterly numbers usually tell the story... College football can change in a single Saturday. One freshman quarterback can change an entire program. One transfer portal class can reshape a roster overnight. One upset can send a team's stock soaring... Or crashing. That's why every August feels like Opening Day on Wall Street. Everyone thinks they know which stocks are about to explode. By December... We usually discover who guessed right. My ACC Portfolio 📈 Duke — My favorite long-term growth stock. 📈 Miami — The blue-chip investment I believe is headed to the College Football Playoff. 📈 SMU — The aggressive investor's dream with enormous upside. 📈 Virginia Tech — The turnaround stock I'm buying before everyone else does. 📈 Georgia Tech — The rising company quietly building momentum. ⚖️ Clemson — The former industry leader trying to prove it still belongs at the top. ⚖️ Virginia — The momentum stock I'm watching very closely. 📉 North Carolina — The volatile stock with tremendous long-term value but plenty of short-term uncertainty. 📈 California — The investment my heart refuses to sell. 📉 Stanford — The mystery stock with unlimited resources but too many unanswered questions. Now... The only thing left to do... Is play the games. Coming Soon on Blue Devils Blog This article is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting: 🏈 My complete ACC predicted order of finish. 🏈 My official Duke Football game-by-game prediction. 🏈 My first Duke bowl projection of the season. 🏈 ACC Championship and College Football Playoff predictions. So make sure to check back here at Blue Devils Blog as we get closer to kickoff. Until then... Keep watching the market. Because once Week 1 or Week 0 kicks off... Every ACC team's stock starts trading. Some will rise. Some will fall. And by the end of the season... We'll find out which investments paid off. Happy investing... and Go Duke! 🏈📈  Before I drop my thoughts on the Duke-Amazon deal, let’s start with the press release that landed in my inbox a week ago. This is directly from Duke Sports Information. Press release: DURHAM, N.C. — April 30, 2026 — Amazon and Duke University today announced a multiyear agreement for Prime Video to present exclusive coverage of Duke's storied men's basketball program. The agreement marks Prime Video's first college sports relationship, and starting this fall, the streamer will present three marquee Duke Blue Devils neutral-site nonconference men's basketball games per season. The series of exclusive top-tier matchups is slated to tip off in Las Vegas during the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, when Duke faces the Connecticut Huskies in T-Mobile Arena. The action continues Monday, Dec. 21, at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden, where Duke will take on the Michigan Wolverines. Prime Video's inaugural college basketball showcase culminates in early 2027 on Saturday, Feb. 20, with the Blue Devils squaring off against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Detroit's Little Caesars Arena. All games will be produced by Prime Video, with exact times and other coverage details to be announced later. That is the core of the announcement, and it sets the stage for what is really a pretty significant shift in how college basketball content is being distributed. NOW FOR MY THOUGHTS As a sports media guy for 13 years, a business owner for 20 plus years, and a business teacher for 24 years, this deal hits all the areas I love to follow: sports, business, and finance. And at first glance, it doesn’t take much more than even a paper classes degree from UNC (that’s my one shot at the rival) to see what these three games have in common: Duke and Amazon are the headline act. THE BUSINESS BEHIND IT This is a fascinating move, and honestly, it feels like another example of Duke staying ahead of the curve in college athletics. From Rachel Baker's leadership in Duke basketball's general manager role to Nina King's steady hand guiding Duke athletics into the modern era, this is another signal that Duke is not reacting to change, it is helping lead it. We are long past the cable bundle era. Streaming has taken over, and sports are the last true live content that still pulls massive real-time audiences. That’s why every major platform is fighting for it. Amazon already has the NFL on Thursday nights. Netflix has dipped into NFL Christmas games. Paramount has gone all-in on UFC. The streaming wars are no longer about scripted shows. They are about live sports rights. Now Amazon is stepping into college basketball with one of the most valuable brands in the sport: Duke. WHY DUKE? Why not Duke? Duke is one of the few programs that consistently delivers national ratings year after year. You can almost count on them appearing in multiple top-viewed games every season. From a business standpoint, that matters more than almost anything else. For Amazon, this is the perfect entry point. If you want to test how college basketball performs on a streaming-first platform, you do it with a brand that already moves the needle. For ESPN, this is also a smart play. As the press release notes, Duke’s flexibility in this Amazon series comes with future commitments to additional ESPN-controlled neutral site events in 2027-28 and 2028-29. ESPN still gets what it values most: Duke in big-stage matchups that drive ratings. So in reality, this feels like a three-way win. Amazon gets premium inventory. ESPN protects future content. Duke expands its reach and brand globally. And I imagine there will be a lot of data collected from these games that every network, conference, and athletic department will be watching closely. THE BIG TEN ANGLE Now of course, this is where things get interesting. I’ve already seen some chatter about the Big Ten not being thrilled. I’m not going to pretend to break down legal contracts here, I’ll leave that to someone with a law degree. But let’s be real, if Duke vs. Illinois from 24/25 season or other Big Ten matchups have already been in the rotation on Fox, then the idea of Duke expanding into its own streaming package isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere. And honestly, if one matchup like vs Michigan doesn’t work, there’s no shortage of programs willing to step in. Duke at Cameron North... I mean Madison Square Garden is not exactly a hard sell. At the end of the day, I think the bigger picture is what conferences are really watching: how does a blue blood like Duke perform when it is partially outside the traditional TV model? Because if this works, you can bet not just your blue bloods in college basketball... but also your football powers are paying attention too. Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, all of them. THE GAMES THEMSELVES The schedule itself is also very intentional.
And if you zoom out, Jon Scheyer is again quietly building something interesting here. That February game in Detroit also sits just over a month before the 2027 Final Four, which is in Detroit. The East Regional is also at Madison Square Garden that year. Coincidence or not, that’s a pretty solid non-conference schedule so far... FINAL THOUGHT This feels like one of those deals where everyone gets something. Duke gets even more global exposure with the Amazon deal and another step forward in modern college athletics. Amazon gets a high-profile entry into college basketball. ESPN keeps its long-term relationship and future inventory. And the rest of college sports? They’re going to be watching closely. Because this might not just be a streaming deal. It might be another step toward what college sports looks like next.  Saturday’s Blue & White Game for the Duke Blue Devils football team inside Wallace Wade Stadium felt like more than just a spring scrimmage. It felt like a small preview of what’s coming this fall. And first things first, it was hot. Not just warm, but that early-season North Carolina heat that reminds you summer is not waiting around. That’s part of why the 10 AM kickoff made all the sense in the world. Even then, fans quickly figured it out and started packing into the upper sections of the home side just to get some shade. Cold drinks were flowing, schedule posters and roster cards were out, and everybody was doing their best to stay comfortable while still getting a first look at the 2026 Blue Devils. From a media perspective, I bounced around the stadium throughout the morning. I started down in the second-row media area, moved up into the shaded fan sections, and eventually made my way to the Devils Deck, which is still one of the best spots in Wallace Wade to just take everything in. Different views, different energy, same feeling that football is getting closer. On the field, the defense came away with a 26–17 win over the offense, thanks to a handful of turnovers and disruptive plays that swung momentum their way. The offense did show flashes. Dan Mahan connected with Jaivon Solomon for an early touchdown, and later guided a strong two-minute drive that ended with a score to Brody Keefe. But the defense set the tone in between those moments with interceptions, a fumble recovery, and steady pressure that built their lead. That said, spring games are tough to take too much from. The rules are different, rotations are constant, and everything is controlled to the point where any big conclusions just don’t make a lot of sense. So if you are looking for deep player comparisons or bold expectations coming out of this, you are not going to get that here from a scrimmage in April. What you can take away is the energy around the program. Fans showed up. They grabbed their schedule posters, found their seats, and settled in with that mix of curiosity and optimism that always comes with the first look at a new team. And credit to the Duke staff too. There was a lot going on across campus with the Blue & White Game, a home lacrosse event, and the Duke Surplus Sale all happening the same day. It was a full campus Saturday, and everything seemed to run smoothly. At the end of the day, this was a reminder that we are still in April. There are a lot of hot days ahead before we get to Labor Day weekend and the opener vs Tulane on Saturday, September 5 back at Wallace Wade. But days like this help bridge that gap. Soon I will be dropping my next piece, “Six Saturdays That Could Shape Duke’s 2026 Season,” where I will take a deeper look at the schedule and where things could really swing this year. Until then, stay cool my friends. |
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