Report: Auburn men's basketball playing at Duke in famous Cameron Indoor this season (2024)

Like most offseasons, Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl has already said the Tigers are going to have "the toughest non-conference schedule that we've ever had," during the upcoming 2024-25 season.

According to a report from CBS Sports Jon Rothstein, that could claim is well on its way to becoming reality.

Rothstein reported Wednesday afternoon that the Tigers will have a marquee matchup in this year's ACC/SEC Challenge, heading to Durham, N.C., and Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 4 to play the Duke Blue Devils.

It'd be just the fifth-ever matchup between the Tigers and Blue Devils. The two last squared off during the 2018-19 season, with Auburn losing 78-72 to a Zion Williamson-led Duke team in Maui.

What makes the reported matchup even more rare is that it'd bring the Tigers to Cameron Indoor for only the third time in the brief history of the matchup. Auburn's last trip what's considered one of the cathedrals of the sport was in 1981. Prior to that, it made one other trip in 1975. Both were wins for the Blue Devils.

The incoming matchup looks to bit what's anticipated to be one of Auburn's better teams under Pearl with a Duke team that's seemingly found its footing under third-year head coach Jon Scheyer.

Where the Tigers are returning All-American Johni Broomeandbringing in a pair of top-100 signees with three high-major transfers, the Blue Devils have inked a pair of presumed NBA Draft lottery prospects in Khaman Maluach and No. 1 overall recruit Cooper Flagg.

Why this matchup is long-awaited

In more than one sense, this shapes up as a contest that's been a long time coming.

For Auburn alone, it's something Bruce Pearl has expressed desire for as recently as this year.

"Look, there's an edge. There's clearly an edge to this game with us and Arkansas," Pearl said in January on an installment of the Tiger Talk coaches radio show. "Obviously, we've had some tight contests before. But I'll give you an example: I think over the last five to seven years, I think Auburn has been one of the better teams in the SEC. I believe that's the case. Arkansas played Duke in the ACC Challenge. They got Duke at home. Arkansas did. Look, Arkansas has gone to the NCAA Tournament, they've gone to a couple Elite Eights.

"Auburn didn't get Duke. Auburn didn't get North Carolina. Auburn didn't get Virginia. Auburn didn't get Miami. Arkansas did. Tennessee got North Carolina. Kentucky got Miami. Texas A&M got Virginia. So, unless we can go on the road and beat a team like Arkansas, we're going to get Virginia Tech and they're going to get Duke."

Pearl spoke in reference to Arkansas' upset defeat of then-No. 9 Duke on Nov. 29 at Bud Walton Area in Fayetteville, winning 80-75.

Pearl's message was two days before the Tigers traveled to Fayetteville themselves, kicking off their SEC schedule. Auburn would win that game 83-51, handing the Razorbacks their worst margin of defeat at Bud Walton in what eventually became a down season.

The other party inclined to view this contest as long awaited is the SEC. When Auburn steps into Cameron Indoor, it'll be the first team from the league to do so since 1998, when Florida traveled to Durham for a matchup with the blue blood.

The 2024 ACC/SEC Challenge

According to Rothstein's report, this year's ACC/SEC Challenge will take place on Dec. 3 and 4.

Ten of the 16 games will take place Dec. 3, with Arkansas, Missouri, LSU, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M being those involved.

Just six games will be played Dec. 4, but that includes perhaps the two biggest contests in this year's slate — with a pair of participants from the Yellowhammer State. Not only are the Tigers heading Durham, but Alabama will head to Chapel Hill to play North Carolina.