DURHAM, N.C. -- Seven total home dates including a Friday night tilt against Miami highlight the 2017 Duke football schedule released on Tuesday by the ACC office.

Duke opens the 2017 campaign with the Bull City Gridiron Classic against fellow Durham institution N.C. Central on Saturday, September 2 at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.  The Blue Devils will continue non-conference action in each of the next two weeks with home games versus Northwestern (Sept. 9) and Baylor (Sept. 16).

The Blue Devils begin ACC play on the road against rival North Carolina on September 23, marking the earliest gridiron contest between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels in the 103-game series history, before entertaining Miami on Friday, September 29 to close out the first month.

October features road trips to the ACC’s pair of schools in the Commonwealth state (Virginia on Oct. 7 & Virginia Tech on Oct. 28) sandwiched around consecutive home tilts versus Florida State (Oct. 14) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 21).

After an open date on November 4, the Blue Devils travel to face Army West Point on November 11 prior to the campaign’s final home game, against Georgia Tech on November 18.  Duke closes out the regular season at Wake Forest on November 26.

Duke’s 12 opponents combined for a 2016 overall record of 94-61 (.606) while 10 of the 11 FBS opponents played in a bowl game a season ago.  In addition, N.C. Central – Duke’s lone FCS opponent in 2017 – posted an overall record of 9-3, captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship with an 8-0 league ledger, received the MEAC’s bid to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl and finished the year ranked No. 19 in the FCS Coaches Poll.

The 13th annual Dr Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game will be played on Saturday, December 2.

Season ticket deposits are being accepted by the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 919-681-BLUE.

 

2017 Duke Football Schedule (2016 Record; Bowl game)

SEPTEMBER

2 – N.C. CENTRAL (9-3; 10-9 loss to Grambling in Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl)

9 – NORTHWESTERN (7-6; 31-24 win over Pittsburgh in New Era Pinstripe Bowl)

16 – BAYLOR (7-6; 31-12 win over Boise State in Motel 6 Cactus Bowl)

23 – at North Carolina (8-5; 25-23 loss to Stanford in Hyundai Sun Bowl)

29 – MIAMI (9-4; 31-14 win over West Virginia in Russell Athletic Bowl)

 

OCTOBER

7 – at Virginia (2-10)

14 – FLORIDA STATE (10-3; 33-32 win over Michigan in Capital One Orange Bowl)

21 – PITTSBURGH (8-5; 31-24 loss to Pittsburgh in New Era Pinstripe Bowl)

28 – at Virginia Tech (10-4; 35-24 win over Arkansas in Belk Bowl)

 

NOVEMBER

4 – Open date

11 – at Army West Point (8-5; 38-31 win over North Texas in Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl)

18 – GEORGIA TECH (9-4; 33-18 win over Kentucky in Taxslayer Bowl)

25 – at Wake Forest (7-6; 34-26 win over Temple in Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman)