Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas men’s basketball will host Duke in the Blue Blood Classic on Sunday, Oct. 25, Homecoming Weekend, in an exhibition contest to be played in historic Allen Fieldhouse. Tip time for the contest will be released later.
Kansas will make a return exhibition trip to historic Cameron Indoor Stadium to face Duke in October 2027.
Tickets for the KU-Duke contest are separate from the Kansas men’s basketball season-ticket package. Season ticket holders will have the ability to purchase their current seat locations for the Duke game starting today, July 29. Donors will have access to purchase additional single game tickets by level starting on August 20. Public ticket sales will begin on August 26. For KU students, All Sports Combo purchasers will have the opportunity to redeem with more info to come in early September.
Fans can also purchase exclusive Blue Blood Classic merchandise by visiting Jayhawkoutfitters.com the official team store of Kansas Athletics.
Last week, Kansas announced it will host Pittsburg State in an exhibition contest on Friday, Oct. 16, which will include the men’s portion of Late Night in the Phog. Kansas’ second exhibition game will bring Louisville to Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The Oct. 25 Duke contest concludes Kansas’ exhibition schedule for 2026-27.
Though the teams have met 16 times in a series that dates back to 1985, the 2026 Blue Blood Classic will be Duke’s second-ever trip to Allen Fieldhouse with the other being Feb. 20, 1988, when the No. 6 Blue Devils defeated KU 74-70 in overtime. Kansas would later avenge the Duke loss with a 66-59 win in the NCAA Final Four semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri, as the Jayhawks would go on to win the 1988 NCAA National Championship.
Not only did the 1988 Saturday afternoon contest pit two blue bloods in an overtime battle, but an Allen Fieldhouse staple, the – Pay Heed, All Who Enter: BEWARE OF “THE PHOG” – banner made its debut. The original banner currently hangs in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics, and a replica remains in the rafters at the north end of Allen Fieldhouse.
