Manny Diaz’s Duke is coming off a 9-5 season in 2025 that witnessed the program’s first ACC championship since 1989. The Blue Devils also made a Sun Bowl appearance and ended the 2025 season unranked in the final AP poll.
Duke’s season ended with the win over Arizona State, and the Blue Devils are hoping big for 2026 with their promising schedule.
Manny Diaz’s Duke Prepares for 2026 After ACC Slate Announcement
On Monday, the ACC released the football schedules for all teams as it transitions to a nine-game conference slate, including Duke’s 2026 schedule. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said the 2026 ACC football season will be full of excitement, highlighted by two international games in Week 0 that will showcase ACC football on a historic stage.
For the first time, Duke will play nine ACC games in 2026, with five on the road and four at home. Diaz’s squad will begin the season hosting Tulane on Sept. 5 before traveling to Big Ten foe Illinois on Sept. 12. The Blue Devils will then return home for two games to close the month, hosting Stanford to begin ACC play on Sept. 19 and William & Mary on Sept. 26.
Finishing 16th on PFSN College Football OFFi Metrics in the 2025 season, Duke has a bye week on Oct. 3 and will travel to Georgia Tech on Oct. 10 before welcoming North Carolina to Durham on Oct. 17. The Blue Devils will then travel to Virginia for an ACC Championship Game rematch on Oct. 24 before closing the month by hosting Boston College on Oct. 31st.
Duke’s four November games will begin with a road trip to NC State on Nov. 7, while the second game of the month offers a chance for revenge against Miami. Duke’s former quarterback Darian Mensah, who had previously committed to return to Duke for 2026, is now being heavily linked to the Hurricanes as a replacement for Carson Beck and is currently facing a lawsuit from Diaz’s program.
The Miami faceoff is a late-season game, but it will be memorable by late November. If Mensah suits up for Mario Cristobal’s team, Duke will have added motivation, and if he doesn’t, probably the Hurricanes will. Former San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget has reportedly committed to Duke to fill Mensah’s spot.
Duke will host Dabo Swinney’s Clemson on Nov. 21 before closing the regular season at Wake Forest on Nov. 28. The ACC Championship is scheduled for Dec. 5, and Duke will aim to make a strong run this season as well.
However, with Monday’s release, the ACC plans additional schedule updates over the next three days that could alter some of these dates.
