Villanova, Notre Dame to Open Season in Rome

Villanova and Notre Dame will open the college basketball season with men’s and women’s games in Rome in a first-of-its-kind international season-opening doubleheader between the Catholic universities, called the Eternal City Tip-Off. Inspired in part by Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova graduate, the event is expected to draw thousands of traveling fans. The teams are scheduled to meet the pope at a private Vatican audience before Sunday’s games. Players and coaches describe the trip as both an athletic challenge and an opportunity for spiritual and cultural experiences, including visits to historic Roman sites. Leo’s election has raised Villanova’s profile, and the university has reported increased applications since he became pope.