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.
(photo credit: Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
Apr 17, 2026
