The 2026-27 college basketball season is tipping off in the Eternal City.

Notre Dame, a Catholic university, will open their season against the Villanova Wildcats this morning, Nov. 1, in the Eternal City Tip-Off, named and created in honor of the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV.

The pope received his bachelor’s degree from Villanova University in 1977. In an address to both teams yesterday, the pontiff stated that in terms of the game, he remains neutral, before adding, “Prevost has another opinion, but we won’t do that now.”

The rest of the Division I basketball season officially begins tomorrow, Nov. 2, but the NCAA approved a waiver earlier this year to give Notre Dame and Villanova a one-day head-start due to the historic nature of this overseas matchup.

Villanova is favored in the meeting, per ESPN Analytics. The Wildcats finished last season with a 24-9 overall record and a 9-3 record against non-conference opponents.

Notre Dame vs. Villanova time

Today’s Notre Dame vs. Villanova game in Rome, Italy tips off at 9:30 a.m. ET.

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.