Michigan basketball reignites rivalry vs. Duke in ‘Duel in the District’ at Capital One Arena in 2026

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – After a 13-year hiatus, the Michigan Wolverines and the Duke Blue Devils will square off on the hardwood at the “Duel in the District.”

The University of Michigan announced the rivalry game on Tuesday (June 24), saying both powerhouse programs will tip off on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

The game is scheduled near the end of the Big Ten regular season as the new-look Wolverines will enter the 2025 season as one of the early favorites to win the Big Ten and an NCAA National Championship, thanks to Dusty May’s impressive additions, which rank as the No. 2 class in the nation.

• Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB) No. 1 player in the transfer portal.
• Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) -- No. 29 player in the transfer portal.
• Aday Mara (UCLA) -- No. 49 player in the transfer portal.
• Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina) -- No. 62 player in the transfer portal.

May led the men in maize to the Sweet 16 last season in his inaugural season with the Wolverines, and judging by his decision-making during the offseason, he is expecting more under the program.

With the hype surrounding the basketball program, the men in maize are securing more primetime games this season, including matchups with Duke soon.

The last meeting between Duke and Michigan occurred during the 2013 ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

During that game, Michigan trailed 32-22 at halftime before matching Duke in the second half, and the game was tied 47-47. However, it ultimately ended in a 79-69 loss on Dec. 4, 2013.

With the loss, Michigan has an overall record of 8-22 against Duke all time, but this season may be different than years past as Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach all went in the top ten of the 2025 NBA draft.

Michigan lost Danny Wolf in the first round of the NBA draft and potentially Vladislav Goldin in the second round, but they have rebounded nicely ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Lendeborg Johnson Jr., Mara, and Cadeau will also play alongside Flint native and 2025 Michigan Mr. Basketball, Trey McKenney, a five-star guard, and four-star Winters Grady.

Plus, Roddy Gayle Jr., Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter, and L.J. Cason from the Sweet 16 team this past season had Lendeborg expressing excitement about the potential his future team will have this season.

The Duel in the District marks the seventh neutral-site game between Michigan and Duke.

Three of the previous six took place during the NCAA Tournament, including the 1992 national championship, the 1964 Final Four, and the 2011 second round.

In that 2011 game, Michigan fell 73-71 after a late game-tying layup attempt by Darius Morris rattled off the rim.

The last neutral-site matchup was in the 2011 Maui Invitational, where Duke won 82-75.

The Wolverines return to the nation’s capital for the first time since the 2021 Coaches vs. Racism game against Prairie View A&M, a 77-49 victory on Nov. 13, 2021.

Michigan also returns to Capital One Arena for the first time since winning four games in four days to claim the 2017 Big Ten Tournament.

That championship run followed a team plane crash while the team was en route to the tournament.

Ticketing information, television details, and tip time will be announced at a later date.

Fans seeking early access to tickets before the public sale can sign up for email updates.

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