While 2025 was far from perfect for the Blue Devils, it was a undoubtedly a magical year for Duke athletics. 

Most notably, the football program overcame five regular-season losses on its way to winning its first ever ACC championship game over Virginia. It was the school's first outright conference football title since 1962. 

Duke will finish its historic season with a New Years Eve showdown with Arizona State in the Sun Bowl. With a victory, the Devils will secure their third nine-win season in four seasons.

Led by Cooper Flagg, the men's basketball team went 35-4 — including a 19-1 conference mark and its second ACC championship in three seasons — to reach the Final Four in San Antonio.

Even though Duke collapsed in memorable fashion against the Houston Cougars, that shouldn't erase its largely dominant, successful year. All five Blue Devil starters were selected in this summer's NBA Draft, including three players being taken in the lottery. 

The 2025-26 squad is currently off to an 11-1 start. Freshman Cameron Boozer seems to be an early frontrunner for National Player of the Year, which Flagg won last season. If Boozer does achieve that feat, it will mark the first time one school produced consecutive NPOY winners since Shane Battier (2001) and Jay Williams (2002) did it at Duke.

Let's not forget about what Kara Lawson's women's team accomplished this year either.

ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier was a sensation, especially in the conference tournament that was capped by Duke's championship victory over NC State. It was the program's first ACC title since 2013. The Blue Devils would later advance to the Elite Eight.

Not to be forgotten, Duke baseball hosted its first-ever NCAA Super Regional on campus at Jack Coombs field. But despite making some history, the Blue Devils fell one game short of reaching Omaha with a Game 3 loss to underdog Murray State.

To make matters worse, head coach Chris Pollard was poached by fellow ACC member Virginia later that week. Duke replaced Pollard by hiring Wake Forest pitching coach Corey Muscara. 

Taking the good with the bad, most schools across the country would love to have a calendar year like the Blue Devils just had.