Blue Devils — Basketball Capital!

Do you love sports? Then the Duke is an absolute must! Because sports and Duke are a perfect match. From classic American football to soccer to lacrosse, Duke has it all and is regularly among the top teams nationwide in most sports. It’s not uncommon for athletes to go on to play in national leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLS. However, the sport that dominates campus life here on a daily basis is basketball! The atmosphere at Cameron Inn, the home of Duke basketball, is unique in the country and is regularly featured in Netflix and TV shows and documentaries. I’d like to give you an idea of what to expect when you attend a Blue Devils' game here on campus, but that includes knowing how to get a ticket in the first place. Since I am very passionate, but by far not as much as my fellow student Caro, you will experience the first “Blog Takeover” hereby Caro tells you about her experiences around the Duke Basketball madness, our rivals and other fun insights:

Dear New Blue Devils,

I am sure that, whether you are a sports fan or not, that you probably heard about Duke’s Basketball team. I personally think it is something you can’t miss out on. You should at least go to one game. Between the campout experience, the tailgating, the basketball season, and the big Duke v. UNC game, I can guarantee you are going to have a lot of fun!

A few words about campout: grad students’ campout for a weekend close to the Cameron Indoor Stadium, participate to activities and have checks a couple hours apart from one another in order to try to obtain a season ticket. By buying a season ticket, you can go to every game during the year, and take guests with you!

Tailgating: A really American concept you will first see with the Football season (American Football not what we worldwide call Football, and they call soccer). It is the occasions to play games and take a few drinks with your friends.

And as for the Duke v. UNC game, I will start by saying that this year WE WON. Not only at Cameron indoor stadium (OUR HOUSE), but also at UNC! It is an amazing experience to watch the game in person. Undergrads will even campout for a whole month to get tickets to the game. And it involves a lot of traditions: when we win we burn the dorms benches and typically go to Shooters (a bar/nightclub) afterwards.

Thus, I deeply encourage everyone to go to the basketball games, not only for the sport, but for the whole experience. I hope these tips are useful and give you a little taste of what it is like. Go Blue Devils!

PS: you can also shoot your shot and put on you best costume to try to be the fan of the game, and get to stand with the head ushers for a whole game. I can assure you its a fun experience, so be inventive and be bold and you may have this opportunity!