Pope Leo XIV met with delegations from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame at the Vatican on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. The meeting preceded the "Eternal City Tip-Off," a season-opening college basketball doubleheader between the two Catholic institutions scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1. The pope, a 1977 Villanova graduate, addressed approximately 7,000 students and fans in the Paul VI audience hall, stating that sports can teach the values of cooperation and mutual sharing.
The event followed the May 2025 election of Pope Leo XIV, who is the first man from the United States to serve as pontiff. Organizers from On Location, a sports hospitality company, and Players Era, a college sports events firm, collaborated with the universities, broadcasters, and the NCAA to stage the doubleheader at the Palazzo Dello Sport, the first regular-season Division I basketball contest in Italy. The pope participated in the audience while recovering from recent lung cancer surgery.
During the Saturday audience, the pope received a basketball as a gift and remarked on the high number of Villanova supporters in attendance. Earlier that morning, Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez celebrated a private Mass for traveling fans at the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Sunday doubleheader features both men's and women's teams, with players receiving guaranteed Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation for their participation.
The event involves thousands of students, alumni, and athletes from Villanova and Notre Dame. Organizers reported that more than 6,000 Villanova supporters booked travel packages for the trip, with nearly 20,000 people expected to travel to Rome for the games and related activities. For student-athletes, the games provide international exposure and financial compensation through NIL deals guaranteed by the event operators.
The weekend of religious and athletic events coincides with the Solemnity of All Saints. Fans and students who traveled from the U.S. gained access to a televised papal audience and a private Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. For the attendees at the Palazzo Dello Sport, which seats about 8,500, the event marks a shift in college sports scheduling, as the NCAA granted a waiver to allow these games to start one day before the official Nov. 2 start date for all other Division I teams.
The games are the first men’s college basketball season opener played abroad and the first regular-season Division I game held in Italy. Fox Sports is scheduled to broadcast the games to U.S. viewers on Sunday. Following the games on Nov. 1, the teams will return to the United States to continue their regular seasons, while the rest of the Division I college basketball field begins competition on Monday, Nov. 2.