Skip to main content

What to Know for the Employee Kickoff Celebration

Information on ticket pick-up and where to park for Sept. 12 football home opener

Duke faculty and staff have snatched up thousands of free tickets as part of the Employee Kickoff Celebration that takes place before and during the Sept. 12 game against North Carolina Central University.

So far, more than 22,000 tickets have been requested, and employees can continue to register for up to four tickets until noon this Saturday. Employee Kickoff festivities, which include a catered meal, inflatable games and face art, start at 3 p.m. in Krzyzewskiville outside Card Gymnasium. Kickoff of the football game is at 6 p.m.

Here are a few important reminders and things to know for the game: 

Before gameday

Early ticket pickup

Employees can pick up tickets this week at these areas:

Bryan CenterTop floor, across from the Information Desk and Ticket OfficeSept. 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

705 Broad St.Second floor, Conference Room 203Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Duke ClinicOutside Employee Occupational Health and Wellness offices, Red Zone basementSept. 10, 5 to 8 p.m. 

A valid DukeCard ID is necessary to receive tickets at all locations.

If faculty and staff choose to pick up tickets early, they will not be able to access the Employee Kickoff catered meal on game day. Only employees who pick up tickets at the game will have access to the meal. 

Gameday: Parking and Free Volleyball Match

Where and when to park

For information on best game day driving routes to campus, find details in this story and see this map from Duke Athletics.

General Public parking lots will be open for fans starting at 2 p.m. and are free only for Duke employees who present a valid 2016 or 2017 Duke parking permit. DukeCards cannot be used to access free parking.

Otherwise, parking costs $10 cash. No other form of payment is accepted. Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital parking pass holders will be required to pay the $10 parking fee.

To make it easier for fans to get to the game, Duke Parking and Transportation Services will run shuttles from off-site public parking lots, where employees are encouraged to park. Shuttles will travel between the H Lot and PGI to the Chapel Drive circle, in front of Duke Chapel.

Shuttles will run from 2 to 10 p.m. (or until one hour after the game) every 15 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic flow. Pick-up locations will be the intersections of Flowers Drive-Yearby Avenue and Flowers and Trent drives. The drop-off location will be the intersection of Flowers and Trent drives.

Additional public parking will be available in the Circuit Drive Lots, Research Drive Garage (PG9) and Campus Drive Gated Lot, but these lots will not include shuttle service. Please note that there is no general public parking available in the Chemistry Lot for the 2015 football season. General public parking for persons with disabilities will be located in the B-2, B-4 and B-6 portions of the Blue Zone. Accessible lift-equipped vans will be available for individuals needing wheelchair lift assistance. 

Additional game day information – including directions, parking guidelines and more – with Duke Athletics’ “A-Z Gameday Guide.”

Volleyball

Fans looking to cheer on another Duke team before kickoff can enter Cameron Indoor Stadium for free to watch a 3 p.m. volleyball match between Duke and University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

Where and when to find tickets

Once employees and their guests arrive at Krzyzewskiville, they’ll have two ways of picking up tickets if they did not get them early. Both require a valid DukeCard ID. 

If stopping to eat at the catered meal, faculty and staff can receive up to four free tickets while in line for food. Employees and their guests can then enter the catering tent for food one time. There is no re-entry once a group leaves the food and drink area.

Employees who are also season ticket holders cannot enter the tent they are picking up tickets. Only an employee and up to three guests can enter using the free Employee Kickoff tickets. No other form of entry is allowed.

Ticket distribution at the food tent runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

If employees don’t plan to eat, faculty and staff can head directly to a ticket-only white tent set up adjacent to Krzyzewskiville and next to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Staff will scan DukeCards and handout tickets to enter the game. 

Ticket distribution at the ticket-only table will run from 3 p.m. through the end of the game’s first quarter.

After Gameday

Keep on cheering the Blue Devils 

After Saturday’s game, employees can continue attending Duke games with discounted tickets

Duke faculty and staff can purchase season tickets at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium for $110 per ticket. That's more than half off the regular $250 season ticket price for six home games. 

In addition to a special price, all reserved employee seats are in sections 3 to 10, which span the middle of the field between each 20-yard line. As an added benefit, all employee season ticket holders receive stadium chair back seats.

Faculty and staff can purchase discounted tickets by calling (919) 681-2583 or visiting the Duke Athletics Ticket Office in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Read more about the ticket offer in this Working@Duke story.