Duke Basketball Reveals Big News on Defending National Champions

The buzz? Duke will host the defending national champions, the Florida Gators, on December 2. The high-profile matchup is part of the ACC/SEC Challenge and will air on ESPN.

This will be the first meeting between the two programs since November 2017, when Duke put up 49 first-half points and edged Florida 87-84 in a thriller. Duke holds a 5-2 all-time series lead and has won the last two games. The last time Florida won against the Blue Devils was during the 1999-2000 season, when the Gators defeated Duke in the NCAA Tournament with an 87-78 win.

This December clash will mark just the second time Florida has played at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last visit came in the 1998-99 season, when Duke dominated the Gators 116-86.

Both Duke and Florida reached the Final Four in the 2024-25 season. Duke fell in a heartbreaking 70-67 loss to Houston, while Florida beat Auburn 79-73 and then defeated Houston 65-63 in the championship game to claim the national title.

Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, both rosters will look significantly different.

Duke is expected to start freshman phenom Cameron Boozer from day one. He’ll likely be joined in the starting five by Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans, Dame Sarr and Patrick Ngongba.

Florida reloaded through the transfer portal, adding Boogie Fland from Arkansas along with Xaivian Lee and Denzel Washington. Big man Rueben Chinyelu withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft and is returning to Gainesville. With several key pieces back and more talent added, head coach Todd Golden has the tools to defend the title.

This non-conference showdown between powerhouses is already shaping up to be one of the must-watch games of the season.