Duke basketball does not have to leave Durham until at least December

The Duke basketball program does not have to leave Cameron Indoor Stadium for a while.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Duke basketball program continues to take measures to keep its players and coaches safe, and the team will not leave Durham for a large portion of the schedule.

Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog officially reported on Friday morning that the Champions Classic matchup between the Blue Devils and Michigan State will take place at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 1 with the absence of fans.

Kansas and Kentucky will also meet in the Champions Classic, but that matchup will take place in Indianapolis on the same date.

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Normally a doubleheader event at the same venue, the prestigious games were scheduled to take place in Chicago, then Orlando, before the college basketball bubble was axed by ESPN.

Different COVID-19 protocols by the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC forced the games to be played in different locations this season.

CBS Sports college basketball insider Matt Norlander reported that the Blue Devils are expected to make the trip to East Lansing next season to return the favor of Michigan State traveling to Durham this season.

A tip-off time has not been determined for the Champions Classic, but the dates and venues are finally set.

Duke basketball non-conference schedule officially set

It took some time, but the Blue Devils finally have their non-conference schedule set, and Duke will not have to leave Durham until at least late December:

• November 25 vs. Gardner-Webb
• Nov. 28 vs. Coppin State
• December 1 vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic)
• Dec. 4 vs. Bellarmine/Elon
• Dec. 5 vs. Elon/Bellarmine
• Dec. 8 vs. Illinois (ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge)
• Dec. 12 vs. Charleston Southern

The ACC is planning on playing conference games in early-to-mid December, but looking at the Duke schedule, the Blue Devils will not see a conference foe until after December 12, which is a long time for this young crop of Dukies to remain at Cameron.

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However, with the likely absence or limit of fans at all venues around the country, it’s safe to assume that Duke will not face a raucous atmosphere it has been accustomed to on a weekly basis.

Two major Big Ten teams await the Blue Devils in the first month of the season, and Mike Krzyzewski has his work cut out for him ahead of the 2020-21 season.