Duke vs. North Texas women's basketball game falls apart. Blue Devils now playing at FAU

Duke's women's basketball team was scrambling this week to fill an unexpected hole in its schedule.

The Blue Devils were scheduled to face North Texas this Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, in an event called "The Foundry Classic" (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU).

But on Thursday night, head coaches in the Patriot League and Metro Conference got emails from their league office that Duke was in "urgent need of a replacement game" for this Sunday, three people directly familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The emails said the Blue Devils were willing to play on the road or could pay an opponent to face them in Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

Tickets for the North Texas game were also no longer available on Ticketmaster as of Thursday night.

On Friday morning, North Texas and Duke both confirmed in statements that the game was canceled "due to circumstances beyond the control of participating institutions." A spokesperson for North Texas told USA TODAY Sports that it will not search for a replacement opponent and play its next game on Nov. 11 against Houston Christian.

Duke will now play at Florida Atlantic on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Organizers for the event did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Sports' request for comment. A spokesperson for Frost Bank Arena also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Spokespersons for Duke and North Texas declined to elaborate on how the game fell apart.

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Duke versus North Texas was originally announced on Sept. 22, bringing Duke players and San Antonio natives Bella Flemings and Arianna Roberson home to play in front of family and friends. It was set to be the first meeting between Duke and North Texas in women's basketball.

It was also supposed to be a multi-day event, with players from Duke and North Texas participating in "The Foundry Future Summit, a 'student-centered experience" on Saturday, Nov. 7, which aimed to provide "opportunities for students to engage with college athletes beyond the basketball court." Additionally, Duke coach Kara Lawson and North Texas coach Jason Burton were supposed to be featured in "a moderated conversation at The Foundry Table."

Burton is in his fourth season as the head coach of the North Texas Mean Green and has three winning seasons under his belt there. North Texas is 1-1 this season after losing to San Diego State on Thursday.

Lawson, who is also the head coach of Team USA, is beginning her seventh season at the helm of the Blue Devils. Duke, coming off back-to-back ACC Tournament titles and a second consecutive trip to the Elite Eight, is 1-0 this season after opening the year with a win at home over Green Bay.