Villanova Basketball Teams Open Season in Rome Near Vatican

Villanova University now finds itself inextricably linked to Rome. The connection stems from Pope Leo XIV, a 1977 mathematics graduate of the Philadelphia-based school. His presence there has reshaped the university's identity. Even the basketball program leans into this new reality.

Rev. Peter Donohue, the university president, acknowledges the shift. "We certainly have a bigger footprint there now than we used to," he noted. "People do know who we are, just because it’s the pope’s school." The Augustinian order, which founded Villanova in 1842, provides the deeper spiritual link to the pontiff. The school is now forging inventive new bridges to his papacy.

On November 1, the men's and women's basketball teams kick off their seasons in Rome. They face Notre Dame in a matchup called the Eternal City Tip-Off. The venue sits just 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) from the Vatican. FOX and FOX One will broadcast the men's game at 9:30 a.m. ET. The women's contest follows at 12 p.m. ET. This doubleheader arrives weeks after Villanova hosted a sustainability conference in Rome. During that event, the school awarded the inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal to a cardinal.

Donohue sums up the momentum with simple enthusiasm. "It’s crazy," he said. "We’re taking over Rome."

The "Pope Leo effect" is measurable. Applications jumped more than 10% during the first admissions cycle following his 2025 election. Villanova holds a unique title as the only American university to claim a pope as an alumnus. This distinction boosts its profile alongside athletic prowess. The Wildcats won NCAA men's basketball championships in 1985, 2016, and 2018. Three alumni known as the 'Nova Knicks helped the New York Knicks secure the NBA title this year.

Over Halloween weekend, 6,000 Villanova fans and 1,000 Notre Dame supporters will travel to Rome. The atmosphere promises to be electric. Pope Leo spoke in September about the crowd's energy. "The voice of the people of God will be very strong on the Villanova side," he said.

These festivities were planned before Leo’s recent cancer diagnosis and surgery. If his health permits, the sports-loving pope will hold a private audience inside the Vatican on Saturday. He will meet the teams and their traveling fans. Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez will also celebrate a private Mass for them in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Ed Hastings brings personal history to the event. He played on Villanova’s 1971 team that lost the national championship to UCLA. Now a professor at the university, he will appear on a sold-out panel in Rome. The discussion centers on sports and spirituality. "The passions of my life," he explained. St. Augustine, who inspired the Augustinian order, wrote extensively about self-knowledge. Hastings finds a parallel in his athletic past. "And I learned a lot about myself through sports," he observed.

Rev. Bernie Scianna, Villanova's vice president for mission and ministry, knows the pope well. They met almost three decades ago through their shared Augustinian order. Scianna has noticed a surge in interest in Catholicism on campus. The school has around 10,000 students with a large Catholic population. Last year, 24 people joined the Catholic Church on campus. Most were students. That number is higher than the typical fewer than 10 who join each year. Currently, 56 people are in the class of potential new members.

"It’s really a great feeling for us to be in this moment," Scianna said.

Villanova has long sent students to Italy and the Vatican for internships and study abroad programs. Those opportunities are expanding rapidly. Senior Mike Whaley just returned from a fall break trip there with his humanities class.

Villanova’s connection to the new pontiff feels almost tangible. Students recall specific moments, like Whaley serving as an altar server during a private Mass for Villanova students back when Robert Prevost was just a cardinal. That memory now carries a different weight. "So, my fun fact at parties is that I served Mass for the now Pope Leo XIV," Whaley said. It is a detail that changes how people view their own history with the institution.

Megan Zuzarth, a senior in the business school, felt that same proximity recently. She was in Rome with her class, walking paths that the new pope likely trod. "He probably sat right here or he walked these halls," she noted. To Zuzarth, that shared physical space makes Leo XIV feel less like a distant figure and more like a fellow student. "He’s one of us."

The reaction on campus was immediate and loud. Church bells rang for hours following the election. Cathleen Kershner, now a junior, was in the middle of final exams when her phone buzzed. The text from her grandmother was simple but electric: "Your pope! He’s your pope!" It cut through the stress of testing season with a jolt of pride.

Thousands of miles away, Donohue found himself screaming in a Chicago restaurant. He heard the Vatican conclave had picked a winner. "It’s Bob!" he shouted. The manager, sensing the energy, brought out Champagne. It was a fitting gesture for a man born and raised in that very city.

Donohue’s ties to Villanova run deep. As a fellow Augustinian, he was two years ahead of Pope Leo. Before taking the presidency, he chaired the theater department there. That artistic background shapes how he sees his current role. Growing up, while other kids played basketball and football, he took tap dancing classes. Now, that theatrical training serves him well in fundraising and donor relations. "I tell everybody it’s the biggest acting job I’ve ever had," Donohue said, adding that it is also "the longest run I’ve ever had."

The financial picture at Villanova remains stable, though not without pressure. The university is faring better than many peers despite the sector's challenges. It has pushed through renovations and expansion projects. Recently, it opened a new campus at a nearby shuttered Catholic college. The Pope Leo effect certainly has not hurt these efforts.

Donohue speaks with clear conviction about the school's role in this moment. "We’re very proud of him, and very proud that he’s an Augustinian, and very proud that he is leading the church," he said. The commitment is active, not just passive. "Whatever we can do to help him, we’re trying to do that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.