NCAA Men's Basketball
n10[ and Notre Dame forward Luke Devine (22) celebrate after an NCAA college basketball game between Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026.
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Villanova had the pope’s support and many more traveling fans. Notre Dame scored the most when it counted. The Fighting Irish produced a late comeback for a 74-72 win in the men’s game that opened the college basketball season in Rome on Sunday. Up next is a women’s game between the two Catholic universities. The Eternal City Tip-Off was created to honor the first American pope, who wasn't in attendance for the games. But Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV received all four teams in an audience at the Vatican on Saturday. Leo graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova.
