Duke vs. Illinois was a refreshing change in the college basketball schedule

January and February have long been know as the month's of conference play in college basketball. There have been times when conferences will schedule showdowns that take place in those months. However, for the most part, it has mainly been conference play.

This past Saturday, Duke and Illinois met in a non-conference showdown that took place at Madison Square Garden.

Illinois fans may not feel this way right now, as the team suffered their worst loss in program history. However, the two teams may have started a fun new tradition for fans.

I can't stop watching this clip w/ the sound on 🔋 pic.twitter.com/UkUbQlgJLY
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 23, 2025

In the most famous arena in the county, Duke put on a show that will have many thinking they will be one of the hardest teams to beat in March Madness.

No matter the outcome, it was a fun fan experience to see two teams that would never play each other this time of year finally meet.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

As college basketball moves to a new era that will soon see power conferences have a stranglehold on the sport. It would make sense to have more of these matchups.

Of course, more heavyweight matchups would probably mean the end of cupcake games, an issue that college football is already dealing with. But money talks, right?

Home/CBB