Carter Boyle Duke: How K-Ville became a Duke Tradition


Many university campuses around the country feature iconic landmarks. Harvard has Harvard Hall, MIT has the Great Dome, and most state universities have classical buildings called “Old Main”. In contrast, despite its beautiful Collegiate Gothic architecture, the campus of Duke University is also known for something traditional yet transient at the same time: the tent city that Duke students call Krzyzewskiville.

How did K-Ville come about? Lining up for tickets has always been a tradition among college students in schools with traditionally excellent sports teams. At Duke, for example, students used to wait for hours to get tickets for games against UNC; some brought sleeping bags. In 1986, though, a group of students decided to reserve their places in line by putting up tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium. What started as just four tents became a whole campsite of 75 tents in just two days. The phenomenon was featured on NBC News, and after a huge win over the Tar Heels, tenting for tickets quickly became a tradition at Duke.

Why is the tent city called Krzyzewskiville, then? The place is named after the men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who helped transform the Duke Blue Devils into one of the best teams in the country. Coach K, as he is fondly called, has recognized the role of the student body in bringing out the best in his teams and has been known to buy pizza for the residents of K-Ville before games. This special relationship between the coach and the student body is something that is unique to Duke University, and coupled with the basketball program’s winning history, is something that is not to be missed out on.

K-Ville is more than just a Coach K or Blue Devils tradition; it is an essential part of the Duke student experience.

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