The 2026-27 college basketball season begins Sunday, November 1, when Villanova faces Notre Dame at Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, Italy. The NCAA granted a special waiver in January allowing the teams to start one day earlier than usual, making this the first men's season opener on foreign soil and the first regular-season Division I basketball game in Italy.
Historic Matchup
Both schools are prominent private Catholic institutions with ties to Pope Leo XIV, a 1977 Villanova alumnus. The Pope held a private audience on Saturday with all four teams and traveling fans, with approximately 7,000 people expected in the Paul VI audience hall. The venue, Palazzetto dello Sport, seats about 3,500 and has operated since the 1950s.
Team Outlook
Notre Dame enters a new era after losing its three leading scorers — Markus Burton, Jalen Haralson, and Cole Certa — to the transfer portal. Coach Micah Shrewsberry faces pressure in his fourth season as the program nears its longest NCAA Tournament drought since the 1990s. Villanova, which won 24 games last season, lost star point guard Acaden Lewis but returns Tyler Perkins and adds 7-foot-3 freshman Luigi Suigo, known as "Italian Wemby," who will play in his home country.
Broadcast and Predictions
The game tips off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Fox, with a live stream on fubo. Immediately after, Notre Dame's women's team will face Villanova. Most analysts predict Villanova to cover a 7.5-point spread, citing Notre Dame's many question marks and Villanova's stronger roster on a neutral floor thousands of miles from campus.
This matchup follows recent international season openers, including Duke vs. Baylor in Paris last year and South Carolina vs. Maryland in Paris this season.
