JUMP TO:
There may be no better way for college basketball fans to enjoy the closing of the 2025-26 season than Duke vs. UNC. One of the biggest rivalries in all of sports will take place this Saturday.
The Battle of the Blues, or the Tobacco Road rivalry, saw these teams meet up for the first time on January 24, 1920. Since then, the Tar Heels are ahead in the all-time matchup, with a record of 146-120 against the Blue Devils. Among the two programs, the two blue bloods have 11 NCAA national championships (UNC: 6; Duke: 5) and 39 Final Four appearances (UNC: 21; Duke: 18).
STREAM: Watch Duke vs. UNC on the ESPN App
Duke will be looking to avenge last month’s 71-68 loss to the Tar Heels that came thanks to a Seth Trimble corner three at the buzzer. This was only the Blue Devils’ second loss of the season. Now, Duke holds the No. 1 seed in college basketball and will be playing 26 minutes closer to home at their own Cameron Indoor Arena.
This season, the Tar Heels have had great success at home, boasting a 19-1 record at the Dean Smith Center. Their road record, however, currently sits at 5-5 with all losses coming at the foot of ACC opponents. UNC has fallen short to NC State (82-58), UMiami (75-66), California (84-78), Stanford (95-90), and SMU (97-83).
Duke standout freshman Cameron Boozer will look to continue his Player of the Year-caliber season in one final regular-season bout against UNC. The son of two-time All-Star and 2001 NCAA champion Carlos Boozer finished February’s loss to the Tar Heels with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists. Besides him, the Blue Devils only had two others who scored in double digits against assists (Dame Sarr with 13 points; Isaiah Evans with 11 points). On Saturday, the Blue Devils will be looking to avoid getting swept in the Tobacco Road rivalry for the first time since 2023-24.
The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Duke vs. UNC as the Blue Devils look to avenge their buzzer-beater defeat against the Tar Heels last month. Follow along with updates below.
MORE: March Madness bracket predictions 5.0
Duke vs. UNC basketball score
NCAA BASKETBALL HQ: Live scores | Updated standings | Full schedule
Duke vs. UNC live updates, highlights from ACC rivalry basketball game
5:30 p.m. – T-minus one hour until tipoff from the 267th meeting between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels. UNC leads Tobacco Road rivalry with a 146–120 record.
5:00 p.m. – UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Elijah Davis are the first Tar Heels to enter Cameron Indoor. As expected, the Cameron Crazies gave them a warm Blue Devil welcome.
Caleb Wilson and Elijah Davis are the first #UNC players on the floor: pic.twitter.com/3bhKnRJxcb
— Noah Weiskopf (@NoahWeiskopf) March 7, 2026
4:20 p.m. – Duke is currently listed as 17.5-point favorites on DraftKings. Caleb Wilson’s season-ending injury after breaking his thumb in practice and the omnipresent Cameron Crazies are sure to have affected this line. Duke’s starting center, Patrick Ngongba, will be a game-time decision and is currently listed as questionable.
4:00 p.m. – Scenes from K-Ville. Blue Devil fans are ready for a revenge game.
K-Ville scenes 📸 pic.twitter.com/QLERl4xkpi
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 7, 2026
12:10 p.m. – Both Seth Greenberg and Jay Williams pick the Blue Devils to emerge from tonight’s game victorious, and the Cameron Crazies go wild.
THE GAMEDAY CREW TAKES DUKE TO BEAT THE TAR HEELS IN DURHAM ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/4SjnSUawZd
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) March 7, 2026
10:00 a.m. – College GameDay kicked off its coverage from Durham. This is the 15th time the show has visited here, the most of any campus from around the country.
College GameDay is LIVE from Durham for No. 17 UNC vs. No. 1 Duke 🤩 pic.twitter.com/w3TbLld57T
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) March 7, 2026
Where to watch Duke vs. UNC basketball
Duke vs. UNC start time
- Date: Saturday, March 7
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
The ranked matchup between No. 1 Duke and No. 17 North Carolina will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 7.
The teams meet at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
What channel is Duke vs. UNC on?
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels can be found nationally on ESPN on Saturday evening.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on site starting at 10 a.m. ET, with Rece Davis hosting alongside former Blue Devils Jay Bilas and Jay Williams, plus analyst Seth Greenberg, with reporting from Pete Thamel. This will be College Gameday’s 15th visit to Durham, the most at any campus. For the game itself, Dan Shulman will be on play-by-play with Jay Bilas providing color commentary and Kris Budden reporting from the sidelines.
Fans looking to stream the game can do so via the ESPN App.
