Vatican to host 7,000 fans for Villanova and Notre Dame basketball opener

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to hold a private audience on Saturday with approximately 7,000 people in the Paul VI audience hall inside the Vatican. The gathering includes the men's and women's basketball teams from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame, along with thousands of traveling American fans. This event takes place ahead of the U.S. college basketball season opener in Rome on Sunday.

The two schools will play a doubleheader at the Palazzo dello Sport, an arena with 11,000 seats. The venue is located about a 30-minute drive from the Vatican. The event has been named the Eternal City Tip-Off and was organized to honor Leo, the first American pope. Villanova is an Augustinian school near Philadelphia, while Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Indiana, which is not far from Leo's birthplace of Chicago.

Leo earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova in 1977. He has spoken about the value of sports for physical and spiritual development. However, he has also warned that a win-at-all-cost mentality in athletics has contributed to doping, match-fixing, and other forms of corruption.

Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia is set to celebrate a private Mass for the traveling fans in St. Peter's Basilica shortly before the audience with the pope. During a recent trip to France, Leo commented on the anticipated crowd for the games. He said, “They tell me that the people coming to the match, 90% are Villanova and 10% Notre Dame, so the voice of the people of God will be very strong on the Villanova side.”

Leo is known to be an avid tennis player and a fan of the Chicago White Sox. He has also followed basketball over the years. The Rev. Rob Hagan, Villanova's team chaplain, noted that Leo is a dedicated supporter of the school. Hagan said, “He will know who they (the players) are. He’s a true, blue Villanovan.” According to Hagan, Leo attended Villanova games at the Palestra in Philadelphia, an arena often called the Cathedral of College Basketball.

The games on Sunday coincide with All Saints' Day, a major holiday in the Catholic calendar. The audience on Saturday will allow the pope to interact with the athletes and supporters before the official start of the collegiate season in Europe.