
Brazil basketball legend Oscar Schmidt dies at 68
Oscar Schmidt, the legendary Brazilian basketball player, has passed away at 68 after battling a brain tumor.
Pope Leo XIV is set to attend college basketball games in Rome next season featuring Notre Dame and Villanova. The 'Eternal City Tip-Off' will take place on November 1, marking the start of the college basketball season.
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Pope Leo waving
Andrew Medichini/AP photo
Pope Leo XIV is expected to attend a pair of college basketball games in Rome next season between the University of Notre Dame and Villanova.
On Friday, the universities formally announced the “Eternal City Tip-Off,” which will see both the men’s and women’s teams face off in Italy on Sunday, Nov. 1. The games will kick off the college basketball season. With American college basketball coming to Italy, Pope Leo — the Catholic Church’s first-ever U.S.-born Pope — plans to attend.
As noted in a report from The Villanovan, the games are especially significant for the Pope as he graduated from Villanova in 1977.
The report continued:
Both programs will take part in a welcome reception overlooking Rome, according to the University release. Attendees will also have the opportunity for a shared Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and a planned papal audience with Pope Leo XIV in advance of the games.
The release does not specify if “attendees” include fans.
Fans attending the excursion to Italy will also be able to take private tours of the Vatican Museums and other events before and after the games. The itinerary is designed to “reflect and elevate the institutions’ shared Catholic missions.”
The announcement of the pope’s plans to attend the games came amid his public feud with President Donald Trump.
Pope Leo has repeatedly condemned the war in Iran and expressed support for immigrants, drawing the ire of Trump and his associates.
It has also been reported that the Pope rejected Trump’s invitation to the U.S. to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
The 'Eternal City Tip-Off' is a college basketball event where the University of Notre Dame and Villanova will compete in Rome on November 1.
Pope Leo XIV plans to attend the games as part of the event's significance, marking the start of the college basketball season in Italy.
The games between Notre Dame and Villanova are scheduled for November 1, kicking off the college basketball season.

Oscar Schmidt, the legendary Brazilian basketball player, has passed away at 68 after battling a brain tumor.

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