PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Villanova Wildcats will bring some school spirit to their most famous alumnus in Rome this fall.
Villanova and the University of Notre Dame will meet in the Eternal City this November to kick off the 2026-27 NCAA basketball season.
The event, hosted by both Catholic universities, will include a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader, along with “special programming that brings together academics, athletics and spirituality,” Villanova said.
The university said it was inspired by the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff who graduated from Villanova in 1977.
Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo, is seen above in his 1977 graduation yearbook photo at Villanova University. Ian Bush/KYW Newsradio
The doubleheader will take place on Nov. 1. The men’s game will air nationally on Fox at 9:30 a.m. ET, followed by the women’s game on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET.
Student-athletes will also have the opportunity to meet Pope Leo, attend Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, and tour the Vatican.
“This extraordinary experience reflects the very best of Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic mission — uniting faith, learning and community in a global setting,” said Villanova President Peter Donohue. “From academic engagement and cultural immersion to shared worship and athletics, this journey offers a profound opportunity to grow in mind, body and spirit.”
