In college athletics you are either a football school or a basketball school. If you somehow master both in the men’s section, women’s basketball is another steep mountain to climb and a completely different dynamic. Often, programs would heavily invest in one and leave the others, some try balancing and fail miserably. And yet, one program has managed to succeed in all three: Duke, led by Athletics director Nina King.

The Blue Devils men’s basketball team defeated the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Finals despite injuries to important pieces Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba. It was their third conference title in 4 years. The men’s team is comfortably in the race for the national championship this year with Cameron Boozer leading them. The program became the first ever win a conference championship in football, a men’s basketball conference tournament, and a women’s basketball conference tournament in the same academic year.

As a refresher, The women’s team defeated Louisville in overtime in the ACC finals with the scoreline reading 70-65. And let’s not forget their football win either. Duke defeated the Virginia Cavaliers in overtime of the ACC Championship in football, winning by a score of 27-20 in overtime. After this incredibly rare feat, the NCAA community is praising the orchestrator of all three, Athletics Director Nina King.

Fans Highlight Athletics Director Nina King For Duke’s Cross Sports Dominance

“Per ESPN, Duke is the first school to win the ACC football, men’s & women’s basketball championships in the same school year,” wrote a fan. “Leadership matters. Here’s the woman behind it all. Duke AD Nina King.” Nina King started as an AD in 2021, succeeding Kevin White after serving as Duke’s deputy senior AD since 2008. 

Since then, the program has won a total of 14 ACC title victories across all sports and hired 9 different coaches. That includes the storied retirement of coach K and the onboarding of his very successful replacement Jon Scheyer and also the hiring of football coach Manny Diaz. King has been instrumental in navigating immense change to continue the program’s legacy.“Best CEO in college athletics,” praised one.

“Hate Duke, but she’s doing work!” wrote another. There is a reason why King is this good. She has been at the program in various positions since 2008. She was senior deputy director of athletics for administration and chief of staff. Before Duke, King served as the director of rules education at the University of Notre Dame Department of Athletics. So, that experience has brought her immense success, even away from the Blue Devils. 

She is a member of the 2025-28 USA Basketball Board of Directors and is on the Board of Directors for the Collegiate Women Sports Awards. The Duke AD served as the Chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee for two years (2020-22), overseeing the selection, seeding, and bracketing for the annual NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. She was previously a member of the NCAA Committee on Institutional Performance as well. So, this vast experience brings connections and a comprehensive understanding of the scenario. However, some also pointed towards their conference as one of the reasons behind this achievement.  

“Congrats to Duke… Makes you question the ACC though,” wrote a fan. ACC is not the best conference in either of the three sports. In college football, it was the fifth-best conference as far as the non-conference win percentage is concerned. In Men’s and women’s basketball, it had the 4th best conference NET.

It certainly plays a part in this triple crown for Duke. But that does not take anything away from the program. Multiple other strong teams play in easy conferences; they can’t make all three work. North Carolina, for example, has a strong basketball program but football is struggling. 

“They have an AD who cares and has made the proper adjustments in this new landscape of college sports. Bubba Cunningham just collecting checks,” wrote a frustrated North Carolina fan. 

The Tar Heels have been underwhelming in all three sports. They hired Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches in football history and still finished 4-8 in 2025. Under Hubert Davis, they have fallen from being the No. 1 seed from just a couple of seasons ago to being No. 6 in the NCAA tournament. The women’s team has not won the ACC title in the last 18 years. So, athletics director Bubba Cunningham is naturally scrutinized, but he is being replaced by Steve Newmark. 

Cunningham’s contract extends through 2029 in a new senior advisor role to Chancellor Lee Roberts, focusing on strategic projects. The management is awry at North Carolina and it hurts a lot more since their chief rival is doing so much better.  As opposed to Cunningham, King has overseen the era of change. She has ensured there is no transition period. 

“She’s the one with all the NIL checks?!” Asked a fan. It is true that Duke is flush with cash. That is in part due to their history and legacy. But that will not exist without the Athletics Director making exclusive efforts to gather donations, generate new revenue streams and ensure the program is in good health. In their 2024-25 fiscal report, they broke even, with their total $166.76 million expenses being offset by the $166.86 million earnings. As a result of her success, King’s contract was extended to 2031 last year.

“Nina King has provided extraordinary leadership of Duke Athletics during an especially volatile period in intercollegiate athletics,” President Vincent Price said. “I’m delighted that she will continue in this role.” So, Duke can expect more success ahead as the teams continue to capitalize on their good management.