USA TODAY SPORTS: Emotional Duke fans take in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

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DURHAM, N.C. — Duke men’s basketball season ticketholder David Jubanowsky knew he could’ve sold his seat at Cameron Indoor Stadium for north of $5,000.

“There’s no way I’m missing this one,” he said, as tears started to pour down. Jubanowsky’s been going to Duke games since 1982 – Mike Krzyzewski’s second season at the helm of the Blue Devils.

Fans packed in around 10 a.m. Saturday at the 9,314-seat arena – eight hours before Duke tips off against North Carolina (6 p.m. ET, ESPN) for Coach K’s final home game.

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“Coach K, we don’t really know him, but I’d want him to know how much he’s meant to our family, what he’s built here,” said Jubanowsky’s daughter, 43-year-old Tara McAteer.

“The first game I went to was with my Dad when I was eight years old. Christian Laettner made the shot (with two seconds left vs. Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight). We’ve followed this team, Coach K, our whole lives. Our whole family goes to these games it’s the most important thing we do. Duke’s been there for us through the ups and downs and it’s all because of what Coach K built. He’s been such an inspiration.”

ESPN’s College GameDay was broadcasting all morning, with the Cameron Crazies as lively as ever waiting outside Krzyzewskiville and shuffling into the gym. Signs commemorating the 75-year-old coach read, “Happy Senior Day, Coach K.” One fan had body paint on his chest that read, “I love you, Coach K.”

“This is not a house, it’s a home,” Krzyzewski said in a segment that aired on ESPN. A home he built. More than 100 former Duke players will be in attendance to honor Coach K, including some of the school’s all-time greats Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Jay Williams and Trajan Langdon.

Duke associate head coach Jon Scheyer, the coach-in-waiting upon Krzyzewski’s retirement, was seen getting emotional during a GameDay interview with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, another former player. Duke alums JJ Redick, Shane Battier and Steve Wojciechowski later joined the crew at halfcourt.

“This is not a normal game,” ESPN’s Seth Greenberg said. “This is a historic event.”

© Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Die-hard Duke fan David Jubanowsky and his daughter, Tara, pose at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Some fans only showing up for the pre-game festivities because of the expensive ticket prices. The average ticket prices for the game far outpriced Super Bowl LVI and is the most expensive in school history. One small child’s signage read, “will sell toys for tickets.”

“I just wanted to be a part of it on campus, we drove all the way to be here even though we can’t see the game,” said Meryl Brown, an alum who graduated in 1980, the season in which Coach K arrived at Duke. “I wasn’t able to pay $5,000 for a ticket but I got us a hotel and was like, ‘we’re going’ and will watch the game at the bar.”

Brown’s son, Tyler, graduated from North Carolina. Her late husband also went to UNC.

“We don’t ever watch the game together,” Brown said. “I’m the lone Dukie of the family, it’s not pretty. Duke and Carolina is like Republicans and Democrats.”

Out of my price range

Edward De La Garza has never met Mike Krzyzweski, but he has intimate insight into his day-to-day activities.

De La Garza is Duke’s postmaster, in charge of the incoming and outgoing mail on campus. He sees the letters sent out to recruits across the country, the gifts sent to Coach K from around the world and the correspondence with San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

De La Garza, originally from San Antonio, TX, pays closest attention to the letters sent back and forth from Krzyzweski to Popovich. Coach K led USA Basketball to three gold medals before handing the job over the Pop in 2016.

“Those are my two favorite coaches from my two favorite teams,” De La Garza said. “It’s pretty cool to see how much they interact.”

De La Garza was in the stands at Cameron Indoor early Saturday morning with his wife, Ellen, who was decked head-to-toe in Duke gear right down to her custom made Blue Devil sneakers and socks.

De La Garza has been a Duke fan since 1985 when he attached himself to the play of point guard Johnny Dawkins. Ellen has been a fan since she became attached to De La Garza more than 30 years ago.

The two couldn’t score tickets to Coach K’s final game, and instead decided to absorb the College GameDay atmosphere before watching from home.

“It was a little out of my price range,” De La Garza quipped. “But I have been on the court before.”

De La Garza takes out his phone and shows off his screensaver, a seven-year-old picture of him standing alone at midcourt.

“On my first day on the job here, I snuck in and took my picture,” he said.

‘Fan for life’

Soraya Brown wears light up blue devil horns and a mischievous smile as she describes her yearlong plot.

The Durham native began working for Duke’s event staff at the beginning of the season with full knowledge this job would allow her access to the season finale against UNC.

“Today is like my payout,” she said. This is THE rivalry. The only one that counts. But I’m a Duke fan at heart. I had a chance to choose either Duke or UNC for my home base and it was an easy decision.”

Brown admits that it was Grant Hill, not Coach K, that turned her into a full-fledge Blue Devils fan but over the past year, this job has allowed her to see another side of Krzyzweski and his extended family.

Her normal post is inside the Legacy Room, located on the first floor and northeast corner of Cameron. It’s where Krzyzweski’s family and his guest’s hangout before the game. She’s met a handful of NBA players, his wife, Mickie, his daughter, Debbie, and every one of his granddaughters.

“It’s been a huge honor,” Brown said. “They’ve been so great and sweet to me. There is always a lot of love in that room.”

During the game she’s able to peek inside and watch the action. In Coach K’s penultimate game at Cameron against Virginia, Krzyzweski walked right by her on his way to the court.

“I’m a fan for life, and yes, I’m going to do this job again next year,” she said. “I know we’ll see coach around. He’s always going to be connected to this place.”

© Rob Kinnan, USA TODAY Sports Mike Krzyzewski will coach his 676th and final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

‘Love you Coach K’

Eight-year-old Marshall Riggins woke his mother up before dawn on Saturday morning.

He had made his sign the night before, a sweetly penned note to Coach K with hand drawn hearts around the posterboard.

“Love you Coach K, so much. You are a very good coach to Duke.”

Marshall had never been to Cameron in his young life, and he had waited long enough for his mother to wake up.

Riggins and his mother, Holly, drove the hour from Greensboro to Durham — mostly in the dark — and were one of the first in line around 7:30 a.m. to get into the gym as College GameDay crews set the historic day into motion.

“Yeah, he’s been excited about this all week,” Holly said. “It was kind of like Christmas morning. I don’t think he slept a lot last night.”

Marshall looked around the stadium, wide-eyed as the band blared the fight song and the Cameron Crazies tried to outdo each other for a little time on national television.

“I think it’s awesome,” he said.

For Holly, sharing the moment with her son was something extra special. Growing up in North Carolina, she understands the importance of the rivalry, Coach K and what basketball means to this state.

“I really wanted him to experience this atmosphere, even if we can’t go to the actual game. It’s a moment in history and I want him to be able to say he was apart of it,” Holly said.

Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Emotional Duke fans take in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Emotional Duke fans take in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium (msn.com)