Notre Dame Basketball to Open Season in Rome in Front of Pope Leo XIV

Both the men's and women's teams will face Villanova in the Eternal City Tip-Off on November 1, 2026.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:26am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting the energy and movement of a basketball game, with sharp geometric shapes and planes in the official colors of Notre Dame and Villanova, conceptually representing the historic nature of the event.The historic basketball doubleheader between Notre Dame and Villanova in Rome, attended by Pope Leo XIV, promises to be a visually stunning and conceptually captivating event.Notre Dame Today

Notre Dame's men's and women's basketball teams will open the 2026-27 season with a doubleheader against Villanova in Rome, Italy on November 1st. The games will be played in front of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, who is expected to meet with the teams and attend both contests.

Why it matters

This is a historic and unprecedented opportunity for Notre Dame and Villanova, two prominent Catholic universities, to play in front of the Pope to kick off the new college basketball season. The games will garner significant national attention and provide a unique international platform for the players to grow their brands.

The details

The men's game will tip off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Fox, followed by the women's game at 12:00 p.m. ET on FS1. Further details on the event venue in Rome will be released at a later date. The Eternal City Tip-Off is inspired by the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, who is expected to meet with all four teams before the games and be in attendance for both contests.

  • The games will be played on November 1, 2026.
  • The men's game will tip off at 9:30 a.m. ET.
  • The women's game will tip off at 12:00 p.m. ET.

The players

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The men's and women's basketball teams of the University of Notre Dame, a prominent Catholic university.

Villanova Wildcats

The men's and women's basketball teams of Villanova University, another prominent Catholic university and the alma mater of Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV

The first American-born pope, who is expected to meet with the teams and attend both basketball games in Rome.

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What’s next

Further details on the event venue in Rome will be released at a later date.

The takeaway

This historic basketball doubleheader in Rome, featuring two prominent Catholic universities and attended by the first American-born pope, will provide a unique international platform for the players and generate significant national attention for college basketball to kick off the new season.