The Duke 'Discount' is Real, and Other Fans Should Understand It

Duke basketball is a brand, and whether fans of other teams want to disagree, the reality is that if Duke wants a player, it has a very good chance of landing him. The Blue Devils have been among the best teams in college basketball for nearly all of their existence, and with the way Duke can spend on its roster, that doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. As for how much Duke is spending, a recent CBS report suggested it is spending at least $20-plus million. That puts it in Tier 1, aka the upper echelon of college basketball NIL spending. As I've said for other squads, we ultimately don't have any idea how much Duke and other programs are actually spending. It isn't like Duke has to come out and say it's spending X amount on its college basketball roster, so we'll never get an actual number unless something gets leaked that shouldn't.However, while Duke is spending a lot of money, it might not be as much as others think. That's not to say Duke isn't one of the top-five spenders in college basketball, but it might not be as high as No. 1 or 2 because some players are willing to take a discount to play for this program.“For those who think Duke is No. 1 or 2 in player spending, a twist: Jon Scheyer's program obviously pays extremely well, but it's not at the top of the pyramid. (We know, we know: Some of you will scream this isn't true.) Duke benefits from something increasingly referred to as the ‘Duke Discount,’ a catchphrase many believe is legitimate, while some others roll their eyes. The Blue Devils offer a brand/marketing setup that's 1-of-1 in college basketball. Multiple programs that had to recruit against Duke either for blue-chip high school players or high-end transfers in the past couple of years admitted, on background, that they lost out on those players despite offering a substantially higher number than they were told the player took to go to Duke.“The Blue Devils still had to put up big cheddar to land the likes of John Blackwell (Wisconsin) and 17-year-old phenom Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje this year, but the marketing upside of wearing that uniform remains such a tempting draw and easy moneymaker for guys who prove their worth,” Matt Norlander wrote.I've seen some people say that it's unfair that Duke gets this discount, but I have to question why. If you're a high school basketball player and want to win, why wouldn't you go to Duke? A lot of these guys also want to play in the NBA, and all Duke has done throughout this program's existence is send guys to the league and help them find success.