Notre Dame basketball coaches talk trip to Rome, Pope Leo will attend

We already knew the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were taking on the Villanova Wildcats in Rome, Italy, on Nov. 1 to tipoff the 2026-2027 college basketball season.

Now we know what Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry has to say about it -- and that Pope Leo XIV is expected to be in attendance.

Shrewsberry said, in a statement, "We're incredibly honored to be a part of the Eternal City Tip-Off and open our season in Rome. This opportunity reflects what makes the University of Notre Dame unique - combining elite competition with meaningful global and cultural experiences. It's a special chance for our student-athletes to represent our university on an international stage while growing in ways that extend far beyond basketball."

The men's teams will play at 9:30 am ET on Fox, with the women's teams following at noon ET on FS1. The pontiff, an American who grew up in Chicago, will be expected to take it all in.

“Pope Leo has spoken in such inspiring ways about the value of sport, emphasizing that sport is a ‘school of life’ that integrates the body, mind, and spirit, a vision both Notre Dame and Villanova wholeheartedly embrace,” Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. said in a statement. We are honored to join Villanova for what is sure to be the experience of a lifetime for our student-athletes and fans.

“We know well the transformative impact of spending time in a city that is so central to our faith and rich in history, having established Notre Dame Rome in 2014, which allows us to host hundreds of students and scholars from around the world each year. It’s exciting and most fitting to add athletic competitions to our many activities in Rome.”

Notre Dame women's coach Niele Ivey also said this in a statement: “We are incredibly excited to compete in Rome against Villanova in what will be a historic moment for collegiate basketball. For me, this is about more than the game—it’s about giving our student-athletes a truly holistic experience. Opportunities like this have the power to be life-changing, expanding their perspective far beyond the court. The University of Notre Dame is a global brand, and we’re proud to represent that tradition on an international stage. Breaking barriers and prioritizing the full student-athlete experience will always matter to me, and this trip embodies exactly that.”