Villanova and Notre Dame to play basketball doubleheader in Rome

Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame will compete in a basketball doubleheader in Rome on November 1, marking the start of the college basketball season. Dubbed the ‘Eternal City Tip-Off,’ the event is being promoted by the two Catholic universities as a celebration of their shared mission and heritage.

The event includes a Vatican component where Villanova alumnus Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to hold a private audience on October 31 with the four teams and their traveling fans, provided his health permits. Approximately 7,000 people are expected to attend the audience in the Paul VI audience hall.

Plans for the meeting were established prior to the Pope’s recent diagnosis of lung cancer and subsequent surgery to remove a portion of his right lung.