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COVID-19 forces Duke football into early season schedule change

By Kevin Connelly

Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe talks with Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe talks with Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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The Duke football program has been forced to adjust its early season schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic.

There will undoubtedly be many twists and turns throughout this 2020 college football season, and the Duke Blue Devils already have their first adjustment of the year before kickoff in Week 1.

On Saturday morning, it was reported that the Virginia Tech Hokies would not be able to play in their September 19 game against the Virginia Cavaliers because of positive COVID-19 tests within the football program.

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The Hokies are shutting down all football operations for at least four days, and now the start of the season for both teams is being delayed because of scheduling conflicts.

However, credit to the ACC, the conference worked quickly and efficiently to make all scheduling adjustments as now the Blue Devils will play Virginia on September 26 at Scott Stadium, instead of its regularly scheduled meeting on November 14.

The meeting between the Blue Devils and Cavaliers will mark the season opener for Virginia, who was scheduled to have a bye following its meeting with the Hokies on September 19.

Duke is still slated to play Virginia Tech at Wallace Wade Stadium on October 3.

The Blue Devils were scheduled to have their first of two bye weeks on September 26, but the open weeks will now be on October 24 and November 14.

ALSO READ: Preview, predictions for Blue Devils vs. Fighting Irish

Virginia Tech is still scheduled to open its season on September 26 against North Carolina State at home.

Another adjustment the ACC made in lieu of the postponed game is changing the time of the Miami (FL) vs. Louisville showdown from 3:30pm EST to 7:30pm EST, the originally scheduled time of the Cavaliers and Hokies on ABC.

Last season, Duke was able to blow out Virginia Tech at night in Lane Stadium but hopelessly fell to Virginia at Scott Stadium.

ALSO READ: Duke 2020 season preview, predictions

David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils will get the 2020 season underway on Saturday, September 12 in South Bend, Indiana against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 2:30pm EST on NBC.

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