‘A dream come true’: Scenes from Duke’s Tar Heel takedown

Duke prepares for rivalry gameday seriously — and the Blue Devils celebrate a dominant win with the same intensity.

Whether by painting faces to stand in Cameron Indoor Stadium, cramming into The Devil’s Krafthouse to catch glimpses of the TV screens or rushing to Abele Quad to watch the bench burn, the Duke community embraced the spirit of Blue Devil basketball for the most anticipated matchup of the year. The Chronicle captured some of the scenes from across campus on Saturday’s gameday.

A $19,000 shot

ESPN’s College GameDay came to Cameron for the 14th time — the most visits of any school in the country — to excite viewers and the Cameron Crazies for the rivalry game later that evening.

Hallmarks of College GameDay include witty, eye-catching signs for the show’s backdrop and a high-energy atmosphere with loud cheering throughout the two-hour program, which began at 10 a.m. with doors opening for students at 9 a.m. and the general public a half-hour later.

To secure her place in the stadium, senior Millie Caughey — who has tented for a spot at the rivalry game during each of her four years at Duke — got in line for College GameDay “just before five” in the morning, with sophomore Jacob Bruner joining her at 6:45 a.m. They beat not only the sunrise, but also almost every other eager Duke fan, leaving them the second group in line. Describing themselves as “excited” and “so hype,” the energy was already high.

College GameDay offered the first 200 students in line the chance to make a 3-point shot for $100,000. While senior Madeline Waterfield missed her 100-grand attempt, junior Raphael Lee made a half-court shot at the end of the program to win $19,000.

Returning tenters and fans expressed a heightened desire for a win after last year’s upsetting loss to the Tar Heels. Junior Mason Sufnarski, who tented last year, was “hoping for a W” this time around.

“I’m excited, I’m thrilled, I’m ready to go,” he said.

First-time tenters could feel the energy and spirit imbued in K-Ville’s traditions. With so much to expect, the new participants were excited to witness the latest chapter in Tobacco Road’s historic rivalry and cheer on the Blue Devils with their friends.

First-year Elliot Elkin noted that even though he “wasn’t much of a college basketball fan before this,” he’s “really embrace[d]” the experience.

“It’s been way more fun than I imagined,” he said.

Non-student spectators stopped outside of K-Ville to admire the Cameron Crazies and their famed festivities. Some took pictures and videos, while others talked about the upcoming game with the students.

With music blasting and footballs being tossed around as a sea of blue washed over the quads, the students embodied Duke’s unofficial “work hard, play hard” mantra with full force. But soon, the celebrations began to fade, as students filed into place on the sidewalk alongside Wilson Recreation Center.

The Crazies were ready to enter Cameron.

No bad seat on campus

With watch parties for the rivalry game held all over campus, students not there to see the takedown in person waited for the broadcast with anticipation and excitement. The three biggest screenings were hosted in the basement of Gilbert-Addoms Residence Hall on East Campus, commonly referred to as “Gilbert-Addoms Down Under” or “GADU,” Gothic Grill at the Bryan Center, and The Devil’s Krafthouse at the Brodhead Center.

For first-years who wanted a more laid-back and convenient way of watching the game with classmates, GADU was the perfect choice.

“I’m really excited to see the energy in the actual … stadium, because I know we can’t be there sadly, but it’s going to be really fun to see the students get excited,” first-year Aaron Lopez said.

In contrast, watch parties at Gothic and Krafthouse seemed to crackle with energy, as cheers of “Let’s Go Duke” echoed throughout the buildings and into the open air. Both locations were packed with students standing chest to chest or crammed around tables to get a good view of the game.

First-year Sabrina Manero chose to go to Gothic because she “needed to go somewhere that was extremely hype,” adding that it felt like she was “partly in the stadium.”

Similar excitement was felt in Krafthouse, with students packing both the inside of the restaurant in extra seats and the outdoor patio area.

Outside, Haven Higgins and Isha Dixit, second-year students in the School of Medicine, were actually at the game but chose to leave during halftime because of the packed graduate student section. They came to Kraft because they wanted to “stay on campus” but go somewhere less crowded.

Inside, a group of sophomores recalled arriving at Kraft at 10 a.m. to fight for a spot at one of the highly coveted booths. Jack Munson noted that “it was kind of feisty getting in,” adding that there was “a little bit of shoving.” Despite this, sophomore Luz Fontana-Mansilla observed that “the energy on campus has been really cool” — a common theme for longtime and newcomer fans alike on the long-awaited day.

Duke on fire

Although Blue Devils were scattered across campus to watch the game, students had a singular destination once the Blue Devils officially beat the Tar Heels: the bench-burning on Abele Quad.

The iconic bonfire when Duke beats Carolina has been a campus tradition for nearly 40 years and is something that Duke students, alumni and assorted fans eagerly look forward to. The excitement was evident as students formed a tightly packed ring around the two burning benches set ablaze by the “A-Team.” With people scrambling for a better view and slipping in the muddy grass, one could almost see the adrenaline coursing through the air clouded with sparks and smoke.

Abigail Ticknor, a sophomore whose mother is a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumna, said she was “heartbroken after last year” when North Carolina beat Duke twice, so being at the bonfire to celebrate the “revenge” of the better blue was “amazing.”

Seeing the benches burn is a tradition all Duke students hope to see at some point, and sophomore Bo Groff expressed gratitude that he could take part in the tradition with his friends and family.

“This is a dream come true,” he said.

Students weren’t the only ones rushing to huddle around the bonfire. Alumni, parents and Duke fans of all stripes participated in the decades-long tradition, which, according to Page Murray, Trinity ‘85, invoked joy and nostalgia.

“[Duke students] are the luckiest people on planet Earth to be students at this amazing place; [they] have an experience that nobody else in America has,” he said as he watched the benches glow.

Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox

Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.