Duke basketball sees rivalry matchup removed from its schedule

There will be one less marquee matchup on the Duke basketball schedule this season. 

The rivalry between Michigan State and the Duke basketball program will be put on hold for the time being.

Duke was scheduled to make the trip to East Lansing this season after the Spartans traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium last year to play in the Champions Classic, but Brendan Marks of The Athletic reported that the two teams will not play this season.

The Blue Devils and Spartans did not want to play in the same arena last season as the Kentucky Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks as the four conferences had different COVID-19 protocols and agreed to play the marquee event in Durham.

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Michigan State toppled Duke, 75-69, in the matchup, and this year would have been the fourth straight season the two storied programs have played each other if the game were to take place.

Duke holds a 13-4 advantage over the Spartans in the all-time series, and the Blue Devils won their last game in East Lansing, 87-75, in December 2019.

Duke basketball still to have loaded non-conference schedule this season

Despite seeing the Michigan State Spartans get crossed off the 2021-22 schedule, the Blue Devils’ non-conference slate of games is still loaded.

Duke will play Kentucky on November 9 at Madison Square Garden to begin the season in the Champions Classic as well as travel to Las Vegas to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs on November 26.

The Blue Devils will then face the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio for the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge on November 30.

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Duke is also slated to host a multi-team event including Army, Hartford, and Campbell this winter while The Citadel and Appalachian State will enter Cameron Indoor Stadium as well on November 22 and December 16, respectively.

Rocco Miller reported on Wednesday afternoon that Cleveland State will travel to Durham for a non-conference game on December 18.

Duke is looking to respond from missing its first NCAA Tournament since 1994-95 next season as Mike Krzyzewski enters his final season as the Blue Devil head coach.