SOUTH BEND, Ind. \u2013 The Notre Dame men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball teams will officially kick off the 2026-27 season on an international stage. Both Irish squads will take on Villanova in Rome in the Eternal City Tip-Off \u2014 a November 1 doubleheader broadcast by Fox Sports.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A collaboration of On Location, Players Era and FOX Sports, the Eternal City Tip-Off features the men\u2019s contest at 9:30 a.m. ET on Fox, followed by the women\u2019s contest at 12:00 p.m. ET on FS1. Further details, including the event venue, will be released at a later date.<\/p>\n
Inspired by the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born Pope, student-athletes from two of the United States\u2019 top Catholic universities will travel to Rome and Vatican City for a one-of-a-kind international experience to begin their college hoops season \u2013 including a planned audience with Pope Leo XIV set to take place ahead of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cPope Leo has spoken in such inspiring ways about the value of sport, emphasizing that sport is a \u2018school of life\u2019 that integrates the body, mind, and spirit, a vision both Notre Dame and Villanova wholeheartedly embrace,\u201d said Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., President of the University of Notre Dame. \u201cWe are honored to join Villanova for what is sure to be the experience of a lifetime for our student-athletes and fans. We know well the transformative impact of spending time in a city that is so central to our faith and rich in history, having established Notre Dame Rome in 2014, which allows us to host hundreds of students and scholars from around the world each year. It\u2019s exciting and most fitting to add athletic competitions to our many activities in Rome.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Notre Dame women are not strangers to opening a season on European soil, as the group kicked off the 2023-24 campaign in Paris.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Fighting Irish women\u2019s basketball team is coming off its first Elite Eight appearance since 2019 and its fifth consecutive Sweet 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Notre Dame is led by All-American Hannah Hidalgo, who is the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Lieberman Award winner and ACC Player of the Year. Last season, she became the first men\u2019s or women\u2019s college basketball player to average at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals per game, and she broke the NCAA single-season record with 202 steals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are incredibly excited to compete in Rome against Villanova in what will be a historic moment for collegiate basketball,\u201d Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said. \u201cFor me, this is about more than the game\u2014it\u2019s about giving our student-athletes a truly holistic experience. Opportunities like this have the power to be life-changing, expanding their perspective far beyond the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe University of Notre Dame is a global brand, and we\u2019re proud to represent that tradition on an international stage. Breaking barriers and prioritizing the full student-athlete experience will always matter to me, and this trip embodies exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Notre Dame men, it will mark the first regular-season game outside the United States in program history. It is believed to be the first game outside the United States to start a men\u2019s college basketball season in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 2026-27 season will mark Coach Shrewsberry\u2019s fourth year at the helm of the program, as he\u2019ll lead a new-look Irish squad into the Rome season opener.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s team will be led by senior Braeden Shrewsberry, who ended last season with 238 career made threes, moving into the program\u2019s all-time top 10. In addition, Braeden joined the program\u2019s 1,000-point club after averaging 11.9 ppg as a junior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re incredibly honored to be a part of the Eternal City Tip-Off and open our season in Rome,\u201d Glenn & Stacey Murphy Men\u2019s Basketball Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry said. \u201cThis opportunity reflects what makes the University of Notre Dame unique \u2014 combining elite competition with meaningful global and cultural experiences. It\u2019s a special chance for our student-athletes to represent our university on an international stage while growing in ways that extend far beyond basketball.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The contest between the two Catholic college basketball institutions promises to be an exciting start to the 2026-27 season on FOX. For Players Era, this international showcase is the newest college basketball tentpole event, building on the momentum from this year\u2019s highly anticipated Players Era Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Championships, which brought together the strongest-ever in-season tournament fields this past November.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
On Location will offer Official Experience Packages that bring fans closer than ever to the action on and off the court. These packages will provide fans with the ultimate game weekend experience, blending sport and local culture through premium seating, access to special events in Vatican City, guided tours, an exclusive welcome event, a selection of luxury hotels and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n