Just like he is for the Cameron Crazies at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was just as appreciative for the fans that watched from home nearly 3,000 miles away on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
The No. 6 Blue Devils handled Cal 71-56 in a cross-country road ACC game that tipped late Wednesday night, but didn't end until Thursday morning on the East Coast, where most Duke fans were trying to keep their eyes open to watch until the score went final.
Jon Scheyer praises Duke fans after ACC win over Cal
After the win, Scheyer took time at the end of his opening statement during the postgame press conference to emphasize his appreciation for the Duke faithful that stayed up that late just to watch the Blue Devils take care of business and improve to 5-0 in ACC play and 16-1 overall. It's a part of fan life that most college coaches would easily overlook unlike Scheyer.
"I just want to thank our Duke fans that stayed up to watch us at one in the morning or whatever it was," Scheyer said. "We've got amazing fans, and you guys staying awake to watch us and support us means a lot. And, fortunately, we have an earlier game on Saturday you guys can watch us, too."
"I thought our guys did a really good job on defense. That's been the point of emphasis for us. How to sustain the defensive intensity, the defensive awareness you need." pic.twitter.com/fFiVjaoMit
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 15, 2026
These cross-country conference meetings that happen far from the actual Atlantic Coast are now common occurrences thanks to conference realignment around the country. The ACC in 2024 added both Cal and Stanford from the Pacific Coast, as well as SMU in the Central Time Zone.
The Blue Devils' trip to Cal on Wednesday won't be their only game on the other side of the country, but at least next time Duke fans won't have to lose sleep to see the end. Duke will play at Stanford next, but as Scheyer mentioned, that one will tip earlier at 6 p.m. ET Saturday, so it should conclude long before the clock reads a.m. The only other time Duke fans will have to worry about a game starting after 8 p.m. ET again will be during the postseason.