Villanova and Notre Dame kick off basketball season in Rome after meeting the pope

Pope Leo XIV hosted the men’s and women’s basketball teams from Villanova and Notre Dame at the Vatican on Saturday. The Chicago-born pontiff told the players he remains neutral in sports but admitted his former self might disagree. The 7,000 attendees in the audience hall cheered and whooped during the address.

The teams arrived in Rome for the Eternal City Tip-Off, an event designed to honor the first American pope. Villanova and Notre Dame, both Catholic institutions, are using this doubleheader to open their respective 2026-27 college basketball seasons. The gathering brings together players, coaches, family members, and team chaplains for the inaugural matchup in the city.

Sunday’s schedule features two contests at the Palazzo dello Sport. The men’s game begins at 3:30 p.m. local time, which corresponds to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Fox will broadcast the men’s match with Bill Raftery serving as the analyst. The women’s game follows at 6 p.m. local time, or noon Eastern Time, on FS1. Notre Dame enters the women’s contest as the No. 13 ranked team.

The arena holds 11,000 spectators and sits about a half-hour drive from the Vatican. Leo underwent lung cancer surgery last month, so he is not expected to attend the games. A group of cardinals and other Vatican officials is planned to be in the stands instead.

The two schools traveled to Italy specifically for this opening weekend. The papal audience on Saturday set the stage for the competitive action scheduled for Sunday afternoon and evening. Fans from both universities packed the Vatican hall to see the teams receive the papal blessing before their first games of the year.