Duke basketball will begin ACC schedule on the road against revitalized program

The Louisville basketball program has been a complete shell of itself over the last several years but it will have a chance to send its return message to the rest of the ACC when it hosts the Duke basketball team to begin ACC play this season.

The conference announced the first league game for each of its teams on Monday evening, one day before it unveils its full schedule.

Duke will travel to Louisville on Sunday, December 8 (6:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network). It will be immediately after its ACC vs. SEC Challenge matchup against Auburn on Wednesday, December 4 in Durham.

The Blue Devils will host Incarnate Word on Tuesday, December 10 after its trip to Kentucky.

The game should be of major significance to Louisville as it will be the first ACC game the program plays under head coach Pat Kelsey after firing Kenny Payne shortly after the season concluded.

Louisville registered a combined 5-35 record in ACC action the last two seasons under Payne, which included three losses to the Blue Devils. Duke has won its last five games against Cardinals.

The last time the Blue Devils fell to Louisville was during the 2020-21 season in an 80-73 overtime defeat inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. Louisville swept Duke during the regular season prior to the Blue Devils getting revenge with a victory in the ACC Tournament, which was its last game of the season after a COVID outbreak ended the year.

It will also serve as the second true road game for Duke during the season as the team will play Arizona in Tucson on November 22.

The complete ACC schedule will be unveiled on Tuesday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

Duke will play North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Miami twice during the regular season while hosting Florida State, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Stanford, and Virginia Tech. It's road games will be against Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, SMU, Syracuse, and Virginia.