Both schools' men's and women's teams tip off their 2026 campaigns a day early, on Nov. 1 in Rome, with questions swirling over whether Villanova alum Pope Leo will show up.
College basketball's season usually starts on a Monday, but Villanova and Notre Dame are getting a jump on everyone else. Their men's and women's teams will open the new campaign a day earlier, on Nov. 1, in Rome, Italy, for the Eternal City Tip-Off.
The location is not an accident. Villanova's most famous living alum these days is Pope Leo, elected in May 2025 as the first American Pope. He has already made his sports fandom known stateside, including a dedicated "Pope Seat" at the Chicago White Sox's Rate Field and a Pope Hat Night at the ballpark this past season. Now the question is whether he will show up for his alma mater's game in his adopted hometown.
According to reporting on the matchup's origins, the Rome game started as an informal pitch from a Fox Sports executive and has since turned into a real event on the sport's calendar. SportsLine's Eric Cohen has already released predictions and picks for the matchup ahead of the Nov. 1 opener. Whether the Pope actually attends remains the open question as tip-off approaches.