'Cameron Crazies' aren't that crazy about Duke basketball any more

Some of those Duke students are so clever that they're now going to men's basketball games disguised as empty seats.

The Chronicle, Duke's student-run newspaper, has reported that students haven't been picking up all of their 1,200 allotted tickets at Cameron Indoor Stadium, so general admission tickets have been sold to fill up the student section.

The paper said the trend has been going on for five years. The only regular-season home games last season in which all student tickets were claimed were against Michigan State and North Carolina.

But before you think you can dash down to Durham and enjoy a game in the midst of the Crazies who are there, consider this. The $65 tickets are first offered to Duke boosters and other season-ticket holders. So far, they've all been gobbled up before they could be made available to the general public.

During a recent match-up against Wake Forest, the student section wasn't filled at tip-off, and during the game, head coach Mike Krzyzewski motioned across the court to encourage the fans to get louder. “The enthusiasm hasn’t been there,” Duke marketing director Mike Forman told The Chronicle.

Among the reasons cited are the popularity of online streaming sites (where students can watch instead) and a lack of marquee home games.

Duke has played just three ranked non-conference teams at home in the past four years, and only four ACC teams are in The Associated Press top 25. The fourth team, No. 23 Florida State, entered the poll this week after beating Duke 76-73 ... at Cameron.

(Photo: Duke fans during the Jan. 21 game against Florida State. By Gerry Broome | The Associated Press)

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