Catholic schools Notre Dame, Villanova to open hoops season in Rome with men's-women's doubleheader
SOUTH BEND, IN - MARCH 23: Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Sonia Citron (11) celebrate wither their teammates after the game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in t
Notre Dame and Villanova will play a men's and women's basketball doubleheader to open the season in Rome, Italy, a matchup the Catholic schools are promoting as a chance to celebrate their shared mission and heritage.
What we know:
The jointly hosted event scheduled for Nov. 1 will include "special programming that brings together academics, athletics and spirituality," Villanova said in its announcement.
"From academic engagement and cultural immersion to shared worship and athletics, this journey offers a profound opportunity to grow in mind, body and spirit," said the Rev. Peter Donohue, Villanova's school president.
The schools said Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian friar and Villanova alumnus, was the inspiration for scheduling the game.
Those attending the Italian excursion will have the opportunity for a shared Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, a planned papal audience with Pope Leo XIV before the games and private tours of the Vatican Museums.
The men’s game will air nationally on Fox at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, with the women's game broadcast on FS1 at noon.
"We’re incredibly honored to be a part of the Eternal City Tip-Off and open our season in Rome," Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry said in a statement. "This opportunity reflects what makes the University of Notre Dame unique — combining elite competition with meaningful global and cultural experiences. It’s a special chance for our student-athletes to represent our university on an international stage while growing in ways that extend far beyond basketball."
College teams playing overseas is expected to become more common amid a growing influx of international talent. Twenty-three of the 62 players on Final Four rosters listed a foreign country as their hometown, and NCAA data shows the number of international players on D-I rosters (888) has more than doubled since 2010.
Games in Croatia and Serbia are in the works and planned for November as part of a new College Basketball International Series launched by Intersport and Rochelle Management Group.
What they're saying:
"Pope Leo has spoken in such inspiring ways about the value of sport, emphasizing that sport is a ‘school of life’ that integrates the body, mind, and spirit, a vision both Notre Dame and Villanova wholeheartedly embrace," University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd said in a statement. "We are honored to join Villanova for what is sure to be the experience of a lifetime for our student-athletes and fans. We know well the transformative impact of spending time in a city that is so central to our faith and rich in history, having established Notre Dame Rome in 2014, which allows us to host hundreds of students and scholars from around the world each year. It’s exciting and most fitting to add athletic competitions to our many activities in Rome."
"We are incredibly excited to compete in Rome against Villanova in what will be a historic moment for collegiate basketball," Irish women's basketball coach Niele Ivey said in a statement. "For me, this is about more than the game—it’s about giving our student-athletes a truly holistic experience. Opportunities like this have the power to be life-changing, expanding their perspective far beyond the court.