The Duke Blue Devils football team represented Duke University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Blue Devils were led by fifth year head coach David Cutcliffe and played their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 6–7, 3–5 in ACC play to finish in fifth place in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the Belk Bowl, the program's first bowl game since 1995, where they were defeated by Cincinnati.