The Atlantic Coast Conference released the full conference schedule for the 2025–26 men's basketball season, so the Duke basketball program now knows all of its opponents in conference and most of the dates for each contest. Now, let's rank the Blue Devils' top five ACC games for this upcoming season. The conference returned to an 18-game slate for the first time since 2018-19. Each team has a primary partner that it will play twice a season, with Duke's being North Carolina, along with a variable partner. This is a school that each program will play twice in a given season, but they switch each year. Duke's variable partner for this season is Louisville.
Ranking Duke's top 5 ACC games for the 2025-26 season
5. Duke vs. Virginia: February 28th
Duke will host the Cavaliers with just three games left in the regular season, and this could be a contest that has major implications with ACC Tournament seeding. Virginia hired Ryan Odom as the program's next head coach this offseason, and it could be one of the bigger sleeper contenders in the conference. Like most programs are built after a new coaching hire, UVA is bolstered almost entirely with new transfers, but Odom made some splashes in the portal. The Hoos are bringing in key guys like Dallin Hall (6.8 ppg and 4.2 apg at BYU), Jacari White (17.1 ppg at North Dakota State), and Malik Thomas (19.9 ppg at San Francisco). You can never be sure with rosters completely made up of new transfers, but UVA could be a threat in the ACC towards the end of the season.
4. Duke at North Carolina: February 7th
It's game one of the best rivalry in college basketball, but considering UNC isn't poised to be a national championship contender, it sits in the four spot. The Heels are bringing in 5-star forward Caleb Wilson, who will be a star right away, but the rest of the roster is made up of guys who have things to prove. Guys like Kyan Evans and Jarin Stevenson will be interesting to monitor, but Carolina isn't viewed as a perennial national title contender right now. Hubert Davis also brought in a few intriguing international guys who are beginning to generate some buzz. In a make-or-break year in Chapel Hill for Davis, UNC will need to exceed expectations.
3. Duke at Louisville: January 6th or 7th
Duke and Louisville are viewed widely as the top two squads in the ACC heading into the season, with every other squad a tier below. With this matchup coming in early January, there's a chance both the Blue Devils and Cardinals are ranked in the top ten or maybe even the top five of the AP Poll. Pat Kelsey is bringing an experienced and talented roster in 2025, and at this point in the season, it will be a great test for a young and inexperienced Duke team in a true road environment against an elite team. The Blue Devils will have already gone through some of their non-con slate, which might be the toughest in the nation, but this will be the first ACC road game against a tournament team.
2. Duke at NC State: March 2nd
Similar to Virginia, the Wolfpack could be one of the biggest sleeper teams not only in the ACC, but around the country. After bringing in Will Wade from McNeese, NC State is looking to get back to consistent relevance. Wade is bringing in a few elite transfers, including the potential ACC Preseason Player of the Year in Darrion Williams from Texas Tech. As it goes for UVA, it's practically impossible to predict how a team of new guys who have never played together before will perform, but NC State feels like a dangerous team in the ACC. This is Duke's second-to-last game of the regular season, and it's another one that could have big-time seeding implications in the conference tournament.
1. Duke vs. North Carolina: March 7th
It doesn't matter how good or bad either Duke or North Carolina may be in a given year, the best rivalry in college hoops at Cameron Indoor Stadium can never be beaten. As the final contest of Duke's regular season, this could be a massive game for Duke's potential 1-seed or 2-seed hopes in the NCAA Tournament, especially if UNC has another down year. The Blue Devils swept the Heels a season ago and are looking to do it again.