Originally published at The Crux
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NEW YORK — The Dons. The Hoyas. The Zags. Rollie Massimino and his cigars. Lou Carnesecca and his outlandish sweaters. Sister Jean — a devoted fan and mentor of Loyola Chicago players even after she turned 100.
The list could go on endlessly. Talented teams, colorful coaches, unforgettable characters — adding up to the remarkable history of Catholic college basketball over the past 100 years.
The Catholic hoops legacy will be on full display in a few weeks in an especially fitting location and matchup.
Catholic powerhouses Notre Dame and Villanova will compete in the 2026 season opener Nov. 1 at Rome’s Palazzo dello Sport, six miles from the Vatican headquarters of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, a sports fan, and a Villanova graduate. There’s been no word from the Vatican on whether Leo might attend the Eternal City Tip-Off, though it’s considered unlikely following his lung cancer diagnosis.
The doubleheader between the Notre Dame and Villanova men’s and women’s teams has cast a new spotlight on the deep roots of basketball in Catholic schools in America, dating to the early days of the sport.
After James Naismith invented the sport in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, YMCAs
