On Sunday, November 1, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the Villanova Wildcats in a historic doubleheader in Rome, featuring both universities鈥� men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams.
The landmark event celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Rome and Vatican City and honored the shared Catholic traditions of both programs. On Saturday, October 31, the Notre Dame men's and women's basketball teams met with Pope Leo XIV during a private audience. Speaking to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and fans from the University of Notre Dame and Villanova University, Pope Leo XIV reflected on how sports and spirituality can bring people together, build a sense of fraternity and solidarity, and help create a more peaceful world, saying:
鈥淎s many of us have experienced, by acting as a concrete means of bringing people together, athletics can teach the values of cooperation and mutual sharing. I hope, therefore, that despite the competitive nature of college basketball, there will be opportunities for the players and the fans of both teams to get to know each other in your days here in Rome.鈥�