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NewsWPLG Local 10October 31, 2026Miami-Dade County

Pope Leo XIV meets Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams in Rome ahead of season opener

Photo: WPLG Local 10

Pope Leo XIV met with 7,000 players, coaches, and fans from Villanova and Notre Dame in the Vatican audience hall, declaring official neutrality while joking that his alumnus self, Robert Prevost, favors Villanova. The teams traveled to Rome for the Eternal City Tip-Off doubleheader at the Palazzo dello Sport.

College SportsBasketballVaticanHigher Education
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Why It Matters

The meeting brings thousands of American college sports travelers to Vatican City for a doubleheader event dubbed the Eternal City Tip-Off, highlighting the intersection of athletics, higher education, and the papacy.

Key Facts

  • Pope Leo XIV hosted an audience of 7,000 players, coaches, fans, and family members from Villanova and Notre Dame in the Vatican audience hall.
  • The pope graduated from Villanova in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics.
  • The teams traveled to Rome for the Eternal City Tip-Off, a men's and women's college basketball doubleheader at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport.
  • The audience took place despite the 71-year-old pope recovering from lung cancer surgery undergone on Oct. 13.
  • During the gathering, the pope dribbled a golden basketball from the Villanova women's team and posed with a Notre Dame banner reading 'Play like a champion today'.
  • Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez celebrated a private Mass for traveling fans in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday morning.

Who's Mentioned

PersonRobert Dowd“President of Notre Dame”PersonJay Wright“Former Villanova coach”locationSouth Bend“Location of Notre Dame”OrganizationNotre Dame“Catholic university in Indiana”OrganizationPalazzo dello Sport“11,000-seat arena hosting the Sunday doubleheader”PersonPope Leo XIV“Pontiff who met with the basketball teams and graduated from Villanova in 1977”PersonPeter M. Donohue“President of Villanova”PersonNelson Perez“Philadelphia Archbishop”locationRome“City hosting the season opener and audience”OrganizationVillanova“Catholic university in Pennsylvania and alma mater of Pope Leo XIV”PersonRobert Prevost“Birth name of Pope Leo XIV”OrganizationSt. Peter’s Basilica“Location of private Mass celebrated by Archbishop Perez”PersonDenise Dillon“Villanova women's coach”locationChicago“Birthplace of Pope Leo XIV”locationVatican City“Location of the papal audience hall”