Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame will kick off the 2026-27 college basketball season in Rome with a historic Nov. 1 doubleheader, accompanied by a weekend of events in Rome and Vatican City.
As part of the Eternal City Tip-Off, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will celebrate a private Mass for the Villanova and Notre Dame communities at St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday, Oct. 31, at 4 a.m. ET. At 7 a.m., members of both university communities will attend a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Paul VI Audience Hall.
Both events will be livestreamed on Villanova University’s YouTube channel. Viewers can also check Vatican Media and the Vatican News YouTube channel for livestream coverage.
The basketball doubleheader will take place Nov. 1 at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome. The men’s game will air on FOX at 9:30 a.m. ET, followed by the women’s game on FS1 at noon.
The event is inspired in part by the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope and a Villanova graduate.
Learn more by visiting here villanova.edu/university/events/eternal-city-tip-off.
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