James Haupt
Pope Leo XIV brought together basketball, faith, and a shared sense of community to the Vatican at the first ever Eternal City Tip-Off, a basketball match between Notre Dame and the pope’s former university, Villanova.
The event hosted two games, one for both the women’s and men’s teams of each university. Prior to the matches, Pope Leo XIV hosted a private mass and papal audience for all of the athletes, staff, and fans.
CHUCK FORCIER; Villanova alumnus, Class of 1991
His words to the community about sportsmanship. His words to the community about what it means to be humble.
Just to feel his presence in that audience and in community with 7,000 Villanovans and alumni from Notre Dame was an experience, again, my wife and I will not soon forget.
The experience was especially meaningful to Villanova due to its Augustinian roots and connection to Pope Leo XIV. Students, alumni, and the university’s community have taken pride in being the former home of the pope.
CHUCK FORCIER; Villanova alumnus, Class of 1991
To have that connection with all of us, it’s something that I think my friends, my classmates, people I’m connected to at the university just cherish as something that, you know, no other university can say. And what it means to use is beyond comparison.
One attendee has a particularly special relationship with Pope Leo XIV and Villanova basketball. Father Rob Hagan is a longtime friend of the pope and shares a deep connection to the Augustinian order and Villanova University.
He graduated from Villanova in 1987 and has been the team chaplain of the Villanova basketball teams for over 20 years.
FR. ROB HAGAN; Villanova Basketball Team Chaplain
As an alumn, as an Augustinian, as someone who just loves to see something that you love and cherish get passed on and embraced by so many others. It brought a lot of joy to me personally and I think to everyone who was there.
As chaplain, Father Rob works with student-athletes to help them incorporate faith into their lives both on and off the court, a mission that was even more prominent during the team's visit to Rome.
FR. ROB HAGAN; Villanova Basketball Team Chaplain
They’re trying to juggle their academics and their personal and athletic lives and academic lives. And so as you can imagine with that comes maybe some doubt, anxiety, failure, injury, setback, obstacles. What greater way to approach that, to overcome that, than with the values that we take from our faith.
So as chaplain, you know, you have an opportunity to kind of walk with them, journey with them, and hopefully remind them of the big picture.
Although Villanova ultimately lost to Notre Dame, the result doesn’t take away from the significance of the event for all those involved, especially the athletes.
FR. ROB HAGAN; Villanova Basketball Team Chaplain
To come together with student-athletes, and alumni, and friends from the University of Notre Dame. It was clear to me and from them that they were part of something much bigger than themselves.
And then to go across the way to the audience hall and then listen to and spend time with Pope Leo. It was, it was just exhilarating for everyone.
The Eternal City Tip-Off offered a rare opportunity to further highlight the role of sports in the Vatican while bringing together two major Catholic universities in the United States. And for Villanova, it was also a chance to celebrate its deep connection to Pope Leo XIV and strengthen the university’s Catholic community.
