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Duke-Albany game canceled due to dispute over North Carolina's HB2 law

Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

For fans who have been waiting to see Duke and Albany take to the court Nov. 12, disappointment is the theme of the hour.

The previously scheduled non-conference game has been removed from both teams' schedules due to a dispute over North Carolina's House Bill 2, according to Steve Wiseman of the Durham Herald-Sun, via Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.

The controversial bill, which was passed in North Carolina in March of 2016, requires all transgender people to use public bathrooms that align with their gender of birth. It also eliminates employees' rights to sue employers for discrimination and/or wrongful termination.

Taking a stand against the bill, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo implemented an executive order banning state-sponsored, non-essential travel to North Carolina. The Nov. 12 matchup, which would have had the Albany, N.Y., school traveling to Duke's campus in the state, falls under that umbrella.

"The State University of New York supports Governor Cuomo's executive order banning all non-essential travel to the state of North Carolina," SUNY spokesperson Holly Liapsis said. "We instructed our campuses (including Albany) to immediately review any existing travel plans by faculty and staff. SUNY and its campuses continue to support the governor on taking this stand."

Duke has released a revised non-conference schedule that lists the opponent of its Nov. 12 game as yet to be determined.

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