Road Trips

If you were in the right place at the right time, you could sit courtside to watch the Blue Devils play. When the nation's number-one ranked men's basketball team took to the road, alumni affairs' clubs program arranged pregame parties and lined up tickets in Chicago, the Meadowlands, Charlotte, and Tallahassee. Outside of Cameron, it was the hottest ticket in town.

The Duke Club of Chicago played host to a buffet dinner at the Stadium Club in the United Center before Duke played--and defeated--Iowa in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on November 27. Matt Sample '96 is the club's president.

When Duke defeated Kentucky in the Jimmy V Classic at the Meadowlands on December 17, the Duke University Metropolitan Alumni Association was host for a buffet at the Sheraton Meadowlands before the tip-off. Susan Callahan '86 is DUMAA's president.

Closer to home, at the Charlotte Coliseum on January 2, Blue Devil fans dined at the Renaissance Hotel before Duke played Davidson. Katherine Lambert '95 is the Duke Club of Charlotte's president.

Mike Rosen '70, president of the Capital Duke Club in Tallahassee, was host for the Duke-Florida State contest on January 6. The pregame buffet was held in the Leon County Civic Center Plaza.

For those who couldn't venture farther down the road than their local pub, Duke clubs arranged "watch parties" at various venues. The Duke Club of Northern California offered Bleachers for fans in the Sacramento area. The club hosted an extra-special gathering for the first Carolina game on January 31. Debbie Arnold '72 is the Sacramento contact.

The Duke Club of Asheville, whose president is Glen Locascio M.E.M. '96, chose the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company's movie-theater-sized screen to watch the Duke-Kentucky game in December. The Duke Club of Rochester in New York relies on Jillian's, a sports bar, restaurant, and entertainment complex for the entire basketball season. Elaine Ritter Schaffer B.S.N. '82 is the club's president.

The Duke Club of Houston started celebrating March Madness in November, when fans met at a new "hoops watch" location, Champps Americana. John Tobin '99 is the club's president. Houston club member Ken Dennard '86, a former Blue Devil basketball player, has arranged for fans to get connected via e-mail for sports news and game highlights from Duke's athletics office.

DUMAA does it right: Not one but three locations to watch basketball--but never the same game in more than one spot. The majority of the games, including the ACC Tournament, are viewed at the club's "home court," Park Avenue Country Club at 27th Street. Other locales are Brother Jimmy's Bait Shack on the Upper East Side and Blondies on the Upper West Side. Erica Berg '96 and Julie Ehlers '85 were in charge of arrangements.