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Kickoff Duke Football Sept. 12 with Free Tickets

'Employee Kickoff Celebration' returns for home opener

Running back Shaq Powell will return on offense for the Blue Devils this season and Duke employees can cheer him on for free at the annual Employee Kickoff Celebration on Sept. 12. Photo courtesy of Duke Athletics.
Running back Shaq Powell will return on offense for the Blue Devils this season and Duke employees can cheer him on for free at the annual Employee Kickoff Celebration on Sept. 12. Photo courtesy of Duke Athletics.

Following a third-straight bowl game appearance, the Duke football team will welcome faculty and staff on Sept. 12 for the Employee Kickoff Celebration as part of their 2015 home opener.

Employees can cheer on Duke for free when the Blue Devils host North Carolina Central University for a crosstown contest of Durham’s two collegiate football teams.

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Employees can now reserve online up to four free tickets to the game. Kickoff is 6 p.m., but pre-game festivities, including music, inflatable games, face painting and catered meal, start three hours prior to kickoff at Krzyzewskiville outside Card Gymnasium. Attendees are encouraged to enter the stadium beginning at 5:30 to avoid delays. General admission seating is based on first-come, first-served.

Last year, Duke employees set a record and claimed nearly 13,000 tickets as part of 31,213 fans who watched Duke beat Elon University 52-13, the most points scored by the Blue Devils in a season opener since 1954. The victory was the first of nine wins for Duke, which finished 9-4 after a loss to Arizona State University in the Sun Bowl.

“This can be a time to show your family where you work and what that means to you,” said Dr. Anthony Galanos, a Duke Medicine physician and last year’s honorary employee captain for the Employee Kickoff Celebration. “The work and pride we show is also displayed in the character of the football players, who are dedicated and committed to Duke.”

The Sept. 12 matchup marks the unveiling of some renovations and a new name for the Blue Devils’ home – Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. Fans will experience several new features after nearly a year of construction, including fold-down, Duke-blue chairs with armrests, seating closer to the field, and a new, state-of-the-art multimedia video board.

As part of game day festivities, fans can cheer for the Blue Devils at 3:30 p.m. as the team walks through “Blue Devil Alley” on its way into the stadium before the game. The Employee Kickoff is sponsored by Duke Athletics and Human Resources.

“This is a special occasion to bring together our entire Duke community and celebrate our Duke spirit,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “We’ve watched tremendous growth of the football program in recent years, and this annual event allows us to celebrate their success and the value our faculty and staff bring to Duke.”

So far, more than 22,000 tickets have been requested for the Sept. 12 employee kickoff celebration. To find out what you need to know about game day, see this story.