How to Watch Duke vs. Kansas: Blue Blood Classic in Allen Fieldhouse (Oct. 25)
Game Details
- Matchup: Duke at Kansas, a preseason exhibition billed as the Blue Blood Classic
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 25, during Kansas’s Homecoming Weekend
- Tip time: 12 p.m. CT, which is 1 p.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT
- TV: ESPN
- Venue: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
- Radio: No confirm a radio network yet
Streaming: ESPN’s game is typically available on the ESPN app with a cable or live-TV login. Confirm your provider carries it.
Series History
Kansas and Duke have met 16 times since 1985, though they’ve played at Allen Fieldhouse only once before. The most recent meeting was last year’s Champions Classic, which Duke won 78-66. Famously, Kansas avenged a loss to Duke with a 66-59 Final Four semifinal win in 1988 on its way to the national title.
Why this one is different: This game won’t count in the record books. Also, neither team has visited the other’s campus this century, and Kansas will make a return exhibition trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium in October 2027.
What to Expect From Duke
Duke has the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, with eight newcomers. The Blue Devils were just named the ACC preseason favorite, collecting 45 of 48 first-place votes. Expect:
- A rotation experiment: Jon Scheyer used a 10-player rotation in the Belmont scrimmage and kept his starting five open.
- Defensive intensity: Duke held Belmont to 34.5% shooting.
- A freshman spotlight: Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, the ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year, faces a far tougher test than Belmont.
- Injuries: Seniors Caleb Foster and Drew Scharnowski were still returning from injury in the last update I found.
Duke hosts Tennessee on Oct. 20 first, so this is its second major test in five days.
Duke Players to Watch
- Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, the 7-foot-2 freshman who scored 19 against Belmont.
- John Blackwell, the Wisconsin transfer and a Preseason All-ACC first-team pick.
- Patrick Ngongba II, a first-team All-ACC pick who protects the rim.
- Dame Sarr and Cayden Boozer, key contributors in the scrimmage.
Kansas Players to Watch
Kansas has the No. 4 class with 11 newcomers. The names to know:
- Tyran Stokes, a freshman who was the 247Sports No. 1 prospect in the class of 2026.
- Taylen Kinney, a five-star guard.
- Keanu Dawes and Paul Mbiya, the frontcourt pieces who will face Duke’s bigs.
Who’s Favored?
I couldn’t find published odds for an exhibition, so this is my own rough estimate: Duke about 55%, Kansas about 45%.
- Duke’s edge: top-two class, ACC preseason favorite and a more experienced core.
- Kansas’s edge: home court in one of college basketball’s loudest buildings.
- Exhibition caveat: Coaches often rotate players and test lineups, so the result may mean less than the performances.
Key Takeaways
- Date and time: Sunday, Oct. 25, noon CT (1 p.m. ET) on ESPN.
- Tournament-style rivalry: Both teams are blue bloods with new-look rosters.
- Freshman showdown: Boumtje Boumtje against Stokes headlines.
- Next step: Check lineups and injury updates closer to tip.
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