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The Villanova and Notre Dame men’s and women’s basketball teams are officially set for a one-of-a-kind season opener on an international stage. Pope included. The Fighting Irish’s and Wildcats’ teams will play in the “Eternal City Tip-Off” in Rome on Nov. 1 to start the 2026-27 season. The doubleheader will make history in a couple of categories: the first men’s international season opener and the first Division I basketball game played in Italy. While next season officially begins on Nov. 2, the NCAA approved this special men’s and women’s event starting in Rome a day early. So why, specifically, are these two Catholic universities playing halfway across the world? Simply, Pope Leo XIV (whose real name is Robert Francis Provost). And, he plans to have an audience with the teams during their trip. The Pope — an American-born sports fan who resides in Vatican City in the heart of Rome — is an alumnus of Villanova in the class of 1977. What’s more, his roots are in Chicago, which is relatively close to Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend, Indiana. His recent election inspired the Eternal City Tip-Off. [MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL: Illinois, Duke Highlight Way-Too-Early Top 25] The Villanova men’s program has seven Final Four appearances and three national titles, with its most recent in 2018. Led by coach Niele Ivey, the Notre Dame women also have three national titles. The Fighting Irish clinched an Elite Eight appearance this season but ultimately fell to No. 1 seed UConn. The Eternal City Tip-Off will be the second time in four seasons the Notre Dame women’s team has competed abroad. In 2023, The Fighting Irish played South Carolina in Paris. The men’s teams will meet for the first time since 2016, and their game will air on FOX and lead into the network’s NFL coverage. The women’s team will play for the first time since 2018 with that matchup being broadcast on FS1.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Week 4 of the 2026 UFL season kicked off Thursday with the Louisville Kings (1-3) earning their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, outlasting the Houston Gamblers (1-3) in overtime at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. On FOX UFL Friday, the previously undefeated Dallas Renegades (3-1) were upset on the road by the Columbus Aviators (1-3) at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was also the Aviators’ first win of the 2026 season. On Saturday, the reigning champion DC Defenders (3-1) escaped the St. Louis Battlehawks (2-2) in a down-to-the-wire thriller at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Then, the undefeated Orlando Storm (4-0) shut out the Birmingham Stallions (1-3) with former head coach Skip Holtz, who won three of the past four spring football titles across the UFL and legacy USFL at the helm of the Stallions, in attendance at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. Here are the results from Week 4: Louisville Kings 24, Houston Gamblers 22 (OT) Key players: Kings QB Jason Bean (17-for-34 for 192 yards), LB Cam Gill (eight tackles, 2.0 sacks, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble), K Tanner Brown (5-for-6, long of 59); Gamblers QB Taulia Tagovailoa (7-for-14 for 64 yards, one rushing touchdown), RB Marcus Yarns (eight carries for 111 yards, one touchdown), WR Justin Hall (4-for-6 for 44 yards), DE Christopher Allen (four tackles, 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss), K John Hoyland (3-for-4, long of 58). Game recap: Both teams nailed field goals on their opening drives to make it a 3-all game late in the first quarter. Louisville went on a 10-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter. The road team followed that up with another field goal to extend its lead to 13-3. Houston, on the other hand, had a rocky second quarter. They went three-and-out and then turned the ball over on downs to start. The Gamblers were able to knock in another field goal — this one from 59 yards out — with just over a minute to play until halftime to pull within single digits, 13-6. The Kings got the last word, however, squeezing in one more field goal with seven seconds to spare to take a 10-point lead, 16-6, in the break. Houston came to life in the second half. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, the Gamblers exploded for a monster 68-yard rushing score to make it a four-point game, 16-12. They followed that up with another scoring drive to take their first lead of the game, 19-16. The Kings opened the third quarter with back-to-back three-and-outs, and that proved catastrophic. With momentum on their side, the Gamblers added another field goal to extend their lead to 22-16 headed into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, the Kings were able to settle in and rattle off back-to-back field goals to knot things up at 22-all. The Gamblers had a chance to take over with roughly a minute remaining in regulation, but a missed field goal from 38 yards kept them from doing so and sent things into overtime. In the UFL, overtime starts in a shootout format where teams alternate two-point conversion attempts from the 5-yard line three times. The Kings converted on their first attempt, and the Gamblers didn’t, ending things right then and there. Up next: In Week 5, the Kings are on the road to face the Renegades, and the Gamblers are hosting the Aviators. Columbus Aviators 28, Dallas Renegades 14 Key players: Aviators QB Jalan McClendon (10-for-15 for 126 yards, one touchdown), WR Keke Chism (4-for-5 for 50 yards, one touchdown), TE Alize Mack (3-for-3 for 56 yards), RB John Lovett (15 carries for 80 yards); Renegades QB Austin Reed (13-for-27 for 144 yards, two touchdowns), WR Tyler Vaughns (5-for-9 for 59 yards), WR Drake Stoops (3-for-3 for 31 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: The Renegades came out swinging in this one, cashing in for a touchdown on their opening drive. With that, Dallas took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. That’s when fans were treated to some fireworks in the form of three consecutive touchdown drives — two by the Aviators and one from the Renegades. Columbus got on the board early in the second frame with a short rushing score, then Dallas fired back with a score of its own to regain the lead. The Aviators then scored through the air to knot things up once again at 14-all headed into halftime. Columbus took its first lead of the game early in the third quarter on a fumble recovered in the end zone. It wasn’t what the Aviators drew up, but it worked all the same. The start of the second half was quiet for the Renegades, and that momentum was crucial for the Aviators. Columbus scored again early in the fourth quarter to make it a double-digit game, 28-14, midway through the frame. In a stunner, a late-game interception at the two-minute warning sealed the Renegades’ fate. With that, Columbus snagged its first win of the season, while Dallas lost its first game. Up next: In Week 5, the Renegades are hosting the Kings, and the Aviators are on the road to battle the Gamblers. DC Defenders 28, St. Louis Battlehawks 22 Key players: Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu (22-for-36 for 204 yards, two touchdowns, 11 carries for 61 yards), WR Cornell Powell (7-for-13 for 85 yards), K Matt McCrane (4-for-4, long of 56); Battlehawks QB Harrison Frost (6-for-21 for 144 yards, one touchdown), WR Hakeem Butler (2-for-3 for 109 yards, one touchdown), RB Jarveon Howard (eight carries for 85 yards). Game recap: The Battlehawks opened with a field goal to get the scoring going, and the Defenders fired back with a touchdown to take over midway through the frame. Things picked up steam in the second quarter. St. Louis regained the lead with a jaw-dropping 75-yard touchdown from none other than Butler. That gave the road team a 9-7 edge. The ensuing missed extra point proved costly, as DC retook the lead – 10-9 – with a field goal on its next drive. The Defenders followed that up with another touchdown with roughly three minutes to play before halftime to extend their lead to 17-9. The Battlehawks squeezed in a field goal just before the break to make it a five-point game, 17-12. The Defenders added a field goal to start the second half and extend their lead to 20-12. Then, DC notched the first safety of the season, making it a 22-12 game midway through the third quarter. Both teams pulled out all the stops in the fourth. The Defenders rattled off back-to-back field goals, while the Battlehawks cashed in for a touchdown and a field goal to pull within six, 28-22, and keep things competitive late. After DC went three-and-out inside the two-minute warning, St. Louis was gifted a chance to have the final word. Instead, Frost took a deep shot up the middle, and his pass was intercepted in the red zone. With that, the Defenders sealed an all-important win at home. Up next: In Week 5, the Battlehawks are on the road to face the Storm, and the Defenders are traveling to take on the Stallions. Orlando Storm 16, Birmingham Stallions 0 Key players: Storm QB Jack Plummer (17-for-27 for 182 yards, one touchdown), WR Elijhah Badger (3-for-5 for 63 yards), WR Cam Camper (4-for-4 for 44 yards, one touchdown), K Michael Lantz (3-for-3, long of 46); Stallions QB Matt Corral (13-for-20 for 83 yards), QB Michael Hiers (7-for-15 for 60 yards), WR Justyn Ross (2-for-4 for 40 yards), RB Anthony McFarland Jr. (eight carries for 30 yards). Game recap: After back-to-back punts to start the game, the Storm got a spark late in the first quarter. They capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive — that took over seven minutes off the clock — with a short touchdown throw. In the second quarter, Orlando added to its lead with two field goals. The Stallions had a chance to get on the board but missed their only field-goal attempt from 46 yards out. With that, the undefeated Storm took a 13-0 lead into halftime. The third quarter was quiet for both teams, and the Storm added another field goal early in the fourth to make it a 16-0 game. After turning the ball over on downs late in the third, the Stallions did so again on their first two drives of the fourth quarter. From there, Orlando ran out the clock. Birmingham was outmatched on both sides and struggled to find any sort of rhythm. It’s the first shutout this season and the third time that a game has been held to single digits or fewer (the Kings were held to nine points in Week 2 and the Gamblers were held to seven points in Week 3). Up next: In Week 5, the Storm are hosting the Battlehawks, and the Stallions are playing host to the Defenders.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports