The Duke Blue Devils may have secured a piece of ACC history that no one else will ever touch.
During the 2024-25 season, Duke made headlines by becoming the only team in ACC history to win 19 regular-season conference games. That milestone, capped off with a commanding 82-69 win over rival North Carolina, is now likely untouchable—thanks to a major decision by the league.
The ACC has announced that, beginning in the 2025-26 season, each of its 18 member programs will play only 18 conference games. That means Duke’s 19-win season could stand as a record for eternity—unless the league changes its format again.
Each team will now face just two schools in home-and-away series each year. Duke’s permanent two-game opponent remains North Carolina, while the second team will rotate annually and is yet to be determined.
The reduced conference slate also opens two more spots for non-conference matchups, expanding Duke’s non-ACC schedule to 13 games. This gives head coach Jon Scheyer more room to strengthen the Blue Devils’ national schedule.
In short, Duke didn’t just win 19 ACC games—they may have closed the door on anyone else ever doing it again.
