Duke Michigan game canceled as Texas Tech takes MSG slot
Duke’s Dec. 21 game against Michigan is off after TV-rights issues, with Texas Tech stepping into the Madison Square Garden date.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Duke Michigan game canceled for Dec. 21 has already been replaced, with Texas Tech now set to face the Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden, ESPN reported Friday, citing sources.
Duke and Michigan had been due to meet in a neutral-site nonconference game at the Garden. According to ESPN, the matchup fell apart after a broadcast-rights misunderstanding created problems that the schools and involved parties could not resolve.
Why was Duke vs Michigan canceled?
ESPN reported that the game was first slated for Madison Square Garden, then the sides tried to shift it to LoanDepot Park, the Miami Marlins’ stadium. The TV-rights problems continued after that proposed move, and no final agreement was reached, according to ESPN’s sources.
The replacement game keeps Duke in New York on the same date. Texas Tech will take Michigan’s place on Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden, ESPN reported, setting up another meeting after the Red Raiders beat Duke 82-81 at the same venue on Dec. 20 last season.
The original Duke-Michigan matchup carried extra buzz because it was a rematch of a February game in Washington, D.C., which Duke won. It was announced in late April as part of Duke’s enterprise partnership with Amazon, according to ESPN.
That Amazon arrangement also includes Duke games against UConn in Las Vegas on Nov. 25 and Gonzaga in Detroit on Feb. 20. ESPN reported that those two games remain on the schedule, while Duke’s newly arranged Texas Tech game will also stream exclusively on Prime Video.
What is Duke’s Amazon deal?
ESPN described the agreement as Amazon’s first move into live college sports broadcasting. Under the deal, Prime Video will carry three Duke neutral-site nonconference games per season, starting next season.
To make the arrangement work, Duke coordinated with the ACC and ESPN on future scheduling obligations, ESPN reported. That includes Duke taking part in certain ESPN-owned and operated neutral-site events during the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.
On the court, Duke remains one of the biggest names on the early board. ESPN has the Blue Devils at No. 2 in its Way-Too-Early Top 25, even after the departures of consensus Player of the Year Cameron Boozer and second-leading scorer Isaiah Evans.
ESPN reported that coach Jon Scheyer has added the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class and Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, whom ESPN called the top guard in the transfer portal this spring.
Texas Tech brings its own weight to the new matchup. ESPN noted that Grant McCasland has taken the Red Raiders to three consecutive NCAA tournaments, won 74 games during his time in Lubbock and has not finished worse than third in the Big 12.
The Red Raiders also recently announced that All-America forward JT Toppin is expected to play next season after suffering a torn ACL in February, according to ESPN.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.