Introducing the ACC: Duke Blue Devils

Five-time national champion Duke will provide the Bears with a significant challenge in basketball

Mike Krzyzewski / EILEEN BLASS via Imagn Content Services, LLC

After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference rivals, we will profile each of the other ACC schools.  Today: Duke:

DUKE 

NICKNAME: Blue Devils

MASCOT: Blue Devil

LOCATION: Durham, NC (pop. 299,494)

MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,810 miles

MAJOR AIRPORT: Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Morrisville, NC

YEAR FOUNDED: 1838 as Trinity College; 1924 as Duke University

ENROLLMENT 17,155

TUITION: $63,450

CAMPUS LANDMARK: The 210-foot Duke Chapel, built in the English Gothic style, was opened in 1932

MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Tobacco Road Sports Cafe; Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub

FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: Apple CEO Timothy Cook ’88; Sports journalist John Feinstein ‘77; Philanthropist Melinda Gates ‘86; Actor Ken Jeong ’90; 37th U.S. President Richard M. Nixon (Duke School of Law ’37); NBA commissioner Adam Silver ’84

ATHLETIC WEBSITE: Goduke.com

Sonny Jurgensen / Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

FOOTBALL

COACH: Manny Diaz (1st year)

CAL ON THE SCHEDULE: 2025 in Berkeley, date to be announced

2023 RECORD: 8-5, 4-4/tied 6th in ACC

BEST PLAYER ON THE 2024 TEAM: Redshirt junior LB Tre Freeman (Second-team All-ACC in 2023)

MOST RECENT BOWL APPEARANCE: 2023 (Beat Troy 17-10 in Birmingham Bowl)

BOWL HISTORY: 16 appearances (8-8), including the 1939 and ’42 Rose Bowl

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 1989 co-champion

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: None

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen ’57 (2-time All-ACC; 5-time Pro Bowl selection; 5-time NFL passing yards leader; Pro Football Hall of Fame)

ALSO: Bob Matheson, Mike Curtis

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Wallace Wade (110-36-1 in 16 seasons, 1931-41 & 1946-50)

ALSO: Bill Murray

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 1-0-1 (1963: Tied 22-22 at Berkeley)

Grant Hill / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COACH: Jon Scheyer (54-18 in 2 seasons)

ARENA: Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)

2023-24 RECORD: 27-9, 15-5/2nd in ACC

BEST PLAYER NEXT SEASON: The consensus national high school player of the year in 2023-24, Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 freshman wing from Newport, Maine, is projected as a possible No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2024 (lost to North Carolina State in regional final)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2022

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Blue Devils won five NCAA titles under coach Mike Krzyzewski (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Grant Hill (2-time All-American & 2-time NCAA champion; 7-time NBA All-Star; Naismith Hall of Famer)

ALSO: Art Heyman, Johnny Dawkins, Christian Laettner, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, Jason Williams, J.J. Redick, Zion Williamson

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Mike Krzyzewski (winningest coach in men’s Division I history, 5-time NCAA champion, 13-time Final Four participant)

ALSO: Eddie Cameron, Vic Bubas

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 2-2 (Duke won 87-52 in 2019)

Kara Lawson / David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 

COACH: Kara Lawson (68-33 in 4 seasons)

ARENA: Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)

2023-24 RECORD: 22-12, 11-7/tied 7th in ACC

BEST PLAYER NEXT SEASON: Senior guard Reigan Richardson (led team with 12.4 scoring average in 2023-24)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2024 (lost to UConn in regional semifinals)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2012-13 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Final Four in 2002 and ‘03

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Alana Beard ’04 (school-record 2,687 career points; 4-time WNBA all-star)

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Gail Goestenkors (396-99 in 15 seasons from 1993 through 2007)

ALSO: Joanne Palombo-McCallie

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 3-1 (Duke won 70-58 in 2013)

Dick Groat /

MISCELLANEOUS

VARSITY SPORTS (27): Baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross  country, men's and women's fencing, women's field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, women's volleyball, men’s wrestling

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (16): Men's soccer (1986); men's basketball (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015); women's golf (1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014);  women's tennis (2009); men's lacrosse (2010, 2013, 2014)

BEST ALL-TIME NON-FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL ATHLETE: Baseball player Dick Groat (also an accomplished basketball player at Duke) went on to become a six-time MLB All-Star shortstop, 1960 National League MVP and two-time World Series winner)

MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN: Swimmer Nancy Hogshead (won 3 gold medals at 1984 Games)