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Duke Withdraws from ACC Due to COVID

Duke Withdraws from ACC Due to COVID

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The Blue Devils were forced to back out.

As a part of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, Duke University’s Blue Devils was slated to play against the Florida State Seminoles. Sadly, as has been a repeating case over the past year, COVID-19 has reared its ugly head once again, forcing these talented young gents out of the tournament prematurely.


The ACC announced today the game between the Blue Devils and the Seminoles had been cancelled, as the Duke University basketball program had received a positive test of COVID-19 within its player stable, necessitating quarantine and contact tracing. For the sake of player safety, the Blue Devils have been forced to drop out of the tournament, leaving the Seminoles to advance to the semifinals, where they’ll play against the winner between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Virginia Tech Hokies.

“I feel deeply for our players, who have done a terrific job all season in taking care of each other and the team,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement from the school. “I am extremely proud of their collective attitudes and effort, which could not have been stronger. We are disappointed we cannot keep fighting together as a group after two outstanding days in Greensboro. This season was a challenge for every team across the country and as we have seen over and over, this global pandemic is very cruel and is not yet over. As many safeguards as we implemented, no one is immune to this terrible virus.”

“Unfortunately, after going an entire season with no positive COVID-19 tests among our men’s basketball student-athletes and coaching staff, one member of our program tested positive following Wednesday’s ACC Tournament game in Greensboro,” Duke athletic director Kevin White said. “After working with our medical professionals and following Duke and ACC Medical Advisory Group health, safety, and contact tracing protocols, the student-athletes on our team are now in quarantine. Since last March when the pandemic started, we have listened to our medical experts and always put safety at the forefront of any determinations regarding competition. As a result, this will end our 2020-21 season. We wish every team still playing college basketball good health and the very best during the next few weeks.”

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