US college basketball set for Rome debut

Villanova and Notre Dame’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are opening their seasons with the Eternal City Tip-Off, a Rome doubleheader that organizers conceived after Pope Leo XIV’s election. The Catholic-school matchup is paired with a planned Vatican audience for the teams and traveling fans, while Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey has described the trip as both an early-season challenge and a meaningful cultural experience for her players. The event also highlights Villanova’s growing ties to the Vatican through its alumnus Leo: the university reported a more than 10% increase in applications in the first admissions cycle after his election and has pursued other Rome-based initiatives.