2026 - 27 College Basketball

[daboyz]

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The Villanova Wildcats and Notre Dame Fighting Irish open the 2026–27 college basketball season today with the historic Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome, Italy. What's better than two catholic schools facing off against each other.

Match Details & Schedule

• • Men's Game: Villanova vs. Notre Dame at 9:30 AM ET (3:30 PM local time) broadcast live on FOX. Read the Big East Conference Announcement for broadcaster lineups and pre-game notes.
  • Women's Game: No. 13 Notre Dame vs. Villanova at 12:00 PM ET (6:00 PM local time) broadcast on FS1. Check the New York Times Athletic Preview for streaming and matchup details.
  • Venue: Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, Italy.

The first American pope was elected. Inside Fox Sports, a college basketball producer had an idea: Let’s go to Rome.

"Hey, I got something important to talk to you about," a text from Steve Scheer, one of Fox’s top college basketball producers, read to Fox Sports Executive Vice President Jordan Bazant.

Bazant admitted he didn’t think much of the message at first. But Scheer followed it with a presentation highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s passion for sports, helping set in motion one of college basketball’s most unique projects this season: bringing the sport to Rome. What's the big deal about this game you ask? Pope Leo is a graduate of Villanova. GO WILDCATS

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