Duke’s game at Clemson will not be played as scheduled on Wednesday because of COVID-19 issues within the Blue Devils’ program, a source confirmed to CBS Sports early Monday. School officials subsequently confirmed the news.
The Blue Devils’ game at Notre Dame that is scheduled for Saturday was initially believed to also be in jeopardy — and it remains that way. But neither Duke nor Notre Dame officials have publicly addressed it yet. On Monday, not long after the CDC updated its recommendations for people who test positive, the ACC updated its COVID protocols in a way that allows vaccinated players who test positive to now leave isolation as soon as they’re asymptomatic and can produce two negative tests at least 24 hours a part. Whether that will allow Duke to return to the court sooner than previously expected remains unclear.
Duke’s entire team and coaching staff is vaccinated per university policy. Regardless, a source said, multiple players tested positive this weekend upon returning from Christmas break. It’s believed to be a byproduct of the highly contagious Omicron variant that has spiked the number of positive cases throughout the country and caused postponements and cancellations in virtually every team sport played in the United States.
More than 70 men’s college basketball teams have gone on COVID pause so far this season, which has led to the postponement or cancellation of nearly 100 games. Multiple coaches told CBS Sports in recent days that they were concerned they’d face possible shutdowns because of positive cases upon players returning from spending time with their families for the holiday.
“This variant seems very difficult to avoid,” one coach said. “It feels like it’s going to get every team at some point.”
Duke is off to an 11-1 start in what is Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season on the sideline. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, No. 2 in the Coaches poll, and No. 2 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1. It is possible the earliest they will return to the court is for a Jan. 4 game against Josh Pastner’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets — though it should be noted that Georgia Tech is also currently on a COVID pause.
