For the second straight year, Duke football is going bowling. After starting 4-0, the Blue Devils cooled off, but were still talented enough to become bowl eligible at 7-5, and they now await their bowl placement Sunday. Duke is out of consideration for the Orange Bowl, but it is eligible for a host of other games, as likely the fifth or sixth best ACC team according to the bowl committee.
The Blue Zone takes a look at some potential destinations for Duke, as well as some possible postseason opponents:
Bowls
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: The Sun Bowl has been played in El Paso, Tex., every year since 1935, making it tied for the second-oldest bowl game — just behind the Rose Bowl. The game is played at the Sun Bowl stadium on UTEP’s campus. Since 2019, the game has been sponsored by Kellogg, with Tony the Tiger being the mascot. Since 2011, the game has been played between an ACC and a Pac-12 team. This year, the game will occur Dec. 29 at 2 P.M.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: The Duke’s Mayo Bowl has been played in Charlotte every year since 2002. The Blue Devils played in this bowl game before under its previous moniker, the Belk Bowl, losing 48-34 to Travis Kelce and the Cincinnati Bearcats. The game currently features a matchup between an ACC opponent and either a team from the SEC or Big Ten. Last year, the contest was between N.C. State and Maryland. This year, the game will take place Dec. 27 at 5:30 P.M.
Pinstripe Bowl: The Pinstripe Bowl has been held every year since 2010 in New York at Yankee Stadium, home of the MLB’s New York Yankees. The game is currently affiliated with the ACC and the Big Ten until 2025. Duke also made an appearance in this bowl during former-head coach David Cutcliffe’s tenure, coming away with a 44-41 overtime victory against Indiana in 2015. This year, the bowl is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 2:15 P.M.
Opponents
Kentucky: If the Blue Devils are selected to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the Wildcats could be a likely opponent. Kentucky finished the season 7-5 with a 3-5 record in the SEC. Head coach Mark Stoops’s team also finished the 2023 campaign with a big win over in-state rival Louisville.
Southern California: The Sun Bowl could see Southern California as a possible matchup for Duke. After making the Pac 12 championship game last season, the Trojans took a step back in 2023, finishing 7-5 with a 5-4 conference record that included three-straight losses to end the year. Southern California may also be without reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams in the bowl game, as he is expected to opt out and declare for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Rutgers: A possible Big Ten foe for the Blue Devils could be the Scarlet Knights in the Pinstripe Bowl, as Rutgers finished its season 6-6 with a rough 3-6 mark in a talented Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights ended their year on a four-game skid, although three of those games came against ranked teams in Iowa, Ohio State and Penn State.
Duke, while in the midst of a search for a new head coach, will find out its bowl placement this Sunday. The selection show begins on ESPN at noon, where Blue Devil fans will find out where the first game of the post-Elko era will take place.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.