Fans welcome champion Blue Devils

The public celebration started around 2:15 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Duke University's campus. Organizers estimated more than 9,000 people gathered to cheer the team.

Long-time Duke fan Debbie Keck celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary by attending the celebration at Cameron. She said there is no place she would have rather been than with “Coach K and the boys.”

Tom Craig, merchandise manager of Duke University stores, called the victory a "stimulus package" for team T-shirts.

He said the university commissioned more than 25 designs and expected to sell up to 100,000 shirts over the coming days and months. More than 30,000 T-shirts were delivered to the campus and were on sale at Cameron Indoor Stadium and at five other locations.

More than 4,000 students crowded into the arena Monday night to Duke defeat fifth-seed and hometown favorite Butler in a thriller, 61-59.

"There is no better place,” graduate student John Hadley said, citing the championship banners hanging from the rafters.

Sophomore Sara Godfrey said, "We are really excited to celebrate with all the rest of the Duke students. To be able to come here and experience the game is so fun."

For Lucy Goodson, the national title was a great way to cap her freshman year. "This has been the biggest gift ever," she said.

Senior Thomas Williamson was among students who attended the public celebration at Cameron Tuesday afternoon.

“As a fourth grader I had this dream of coming to Duke and seeing them play as a student and then it finally happened my senior year,” Williamson said. “It is really special.”

“It is our year and I’m so happy,” freshman Amber Bowie said.

At The Cotton Exchange in Wendell, championship T-shirts began rolling off the presses as the game ended. The company has a contract with Duke University to print 15 different designs. They’ll work 12-hour shifts for the next two days to produce an estimated 20,000 shirts.

Replay Photos, which has a store in Brightleaf Square in Durham, said it has sold about 100 copies of Duke photos since the win. Replay works with 140 colleges and the NFL to make game photos available to the public. Company representatives said they expect to sell about 1,000 photos, which is about how many they sold after UNC's victory last year.