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Michigan schedules marquee neutral-site showdown vs. ACC power
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan is in the process of loading up its 2025-26 basketball schedule, and the Wolverines will have some quality opponents in store for Dusty May and his group.
On Tuesday, Michigan confirmed that the program will face Duke, a Final Four team a season ago, in a neutral-site contest. Hailed as the “Duel in the District,” the matchup will Feb. 21, 2026, in Washington DC’s Capital One Arena.
The matchup is similar to the one that Illinois and Duke played this past season. Traditionally, marquee nonconference games are slated for early-season matchups, but the Illini and Blue Devils bucked that trend, and the Wolverines and Blue Devils will follow suit this year. (Duke won last year’s late-season nonconference showdown, 110-67, over Illinois.)
It will be Michigan’s first trip back to Capital One Arena since the Wolverines went on a dramatic run to capture the 2017 Big Ten Tournament. The matchup should provide a great measuring stick for the Wolverines against a team expected to be among the most talented in the country.
Overall, Duke and Michigan have faced off 30 times on the hardwood, a series that has predominantly leaned in favor of the Blue Devils. Duke holds a 22-8 all-time edge in the series, and the 2 sides have not faced since a 79-69 win by the Blue Devils in 2013.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.