Pope Leo XIV is a 1977 alumnus of Villanova University and an avid sports fan.
Pope Leo XIV may get the opportunity to watch his alma mater play basketball in person during the 2026-2027 season. According to a report from CBS Sports, the Villanova and Notre Dame men’s and women’s basketball teams have received special clearance from the NCAA to open their seasons in Rome for a doubleheader on Nov. 1.
The college basketball season officially starts on Nov. 2 but, according to the report, the NCAA approved a waiver in January to allow the teams to start one day before given the precedence of these games.
Both universities are prominent Catholic schools that have ties to the pope. Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is a 1977 alumnus of Villanova University. As for the University of Notre Dame, it is regarded as the most prominent Catholic institution of higher learning in the world and has an outpost in Rome.
It is well known that Pope Leo is an avid sports fan. He has already welcomed several athletes to the Vatican during his papacy, including the SSC Napoli soccer team after its league championship in May 2025 and Italian professional tennis player Jannik Sinner. Many have also seen the viral image of the pope attending game 1 of the Chicago White Sox’s World Series run in 2005.
The teams will play the doubleheader at the Palazzetto dello Sport, also known as the PalaTiziano. The arena seats 3,500 people and was built in the late 1950s for the 1960 Olympics in Rome. It is about 30 minutes away from the pope’s residence in Vatican City.
The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told EWTN News it was “too early to tell” if Leo will participate in the historic game.
According to the report, officials from both universities have been in contact with the pope and people around the Holy See. Leadership from Notre Dame had a private meeting with Pope Leo in November 2025 and Villanova officials attended the pope’s inaugural Mass.
For the men’s teams, it is believed this will be the first season opener outside of the U.S. in men’s college basketball history.
For the Notre Dame women, this will be their second regular season game outside of the country. They opened the 2023-2024 season against South Carolina in Paris.
Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report from Rome.
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