Vatican blessing precedes Rome opener: Villanova meets Notre Dame

Seven thousand people filled the Vatican audience hall on Saturday to watch Pope Leo XIV greet the Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams. The crowd included players, coaches, fans, and family members from both Catholic schools. They gathered for the Eternal City Tip-Off, an event designed to honor the first American pope.

The journey to Rome began with the arrival of the four teams, comprising the men’s and women’s squads from both universities. The schools brought their team chaplains along for the trip. The gathering served as a prelude to the season opener scheduled for Sunday at the Palazzo dello Sport. This venue holds 11,000 spectators and sits about a half-hour drive from the Vatican.

Leo, who was born Robert Prevost, addressed the large group before the games. He stated that the pope remains neutral in matters of sport. He then acknowledged that his former self might hold a different view. "Prevost has another opinion, but we won’t do that now," he told the cheering audience. The pope underwent lung cancer surgery last month.

Vatican officials will attend Sunday’s games, though Leo is not expected to be present. A contingent of cardinals and other church officials is scheduled to watch from the arena. The men’s matchup is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. local time. Fox will broadcast the game with Bill Raftery serving as the analyst.

The women’s game follows at 6 p.m. local time. FS1 will carry the coverage of that contest. Notre Dame enters the game as the only ranked team, holding the No. 13 spot in the national polls. The season officially begins with these two contests in the Italian capital.