Report: Villanova Basketball to Open 2026-27 in Rome

Update (10:20 p.m.)- Villanova head coach Kevin Willard declined to comment when asked about the intended matchup following the Wildcats’ Tuesday, Feb. 10 win over Marquette.

Villanova University’s most famous alumnus resides in Rome, Pope Leo XIV. Per a report from Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Villanova Men’s and Women’s Basketball will join Leo in the Eternal City on Sunday, Nov. 1, facing off against Notre Dame in their 2026-27 season opener in a doubleheader broadcast on Fox.

Wildcats head coach Kevin Willard let slip that his team would face the Fighting Irish during a podcast appearance with Jon Rothstein published on Feb. 10, but he didn’t provide any further details. Notre Dame, like Villanova, is a Catholic university, providing the impetus for the two teams to face off. Per the CBS Sports report, the two programs will face off in the Palazzetto dello Sport, a 3,500 seat arena roughly two miles north of Vatican City.

Pope Leo’s involvement (or lack thereof) in the event has yet to be announced. Villanova Men’s Basketball last visited the Vatican in 2018, meeting with Pope Francis following their third national championship.