No Cardboard Fans In Cameron

Duke will unveil "scheme" to simulate Cameron Crazies on Friday

Duke announced last week that there would be no fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium to start the season. On Thursday, coach Mike Krzyzewski said that extended to carboard replicas of fans as well.

Several teams in college and the pros, including Duke’s football team, allowed fans to purchase cardboard cutout replicas to occupy seats at stadiums and arenas.

“Look, people can have cutouts,” he said. “We decided not to have them. We just decided to not do it.”

That doesn’t mean that Cameron, usually home to one of the biggest home court advantages in college basketball, with the Cameron Crazies getting too close for comfort with opposing players, will be empty and lifeless. The program is planning several features to simulate the gameday environment which will be unveiled at Friday night’s scrimmage, broadcast on the team’s YouTube channel.

“I think the main ppl in Cameron are the Cameron Crazies and the band,” Coach K said. “So we’ve created some really nice things to honor those people … We’re doing kind of a big scheme to honor the Cameron Crazies. I think that’s a good idea.”

There is speculation that the “scheme” will be similar to the virtual fans on video screens that the NBA used in its Orlando Bubble to complete the season.

The rest of Duke’s gameday routine will also get tested on Friday night.

“One of the things we’ll find out about is the national anthem,” he said, “and how you come out (of the locker room). We’ll give the guys a chance to sit socially distanced, making sure they have a mask on when they’re out (of the game). So we’ll simulate that for about 10 minutes, then actually go for a timeout, have the stools come out, just to kind of get a feel for things, because for all these kids its just such a different environment.”