MBB Minute (Oct. 31, 2026) - The 2026-27 men’s college basketball regular season begins on Sunday, Nov. 1, as Villanova takes on Notre Dame in the Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome.

The game will air live on FOX at 9:30 a.m. ET, with Kevin Kugler, Bill Raftery, and Kim Adams on the call.  

The Villanova/Notre Dame matchup is the first NCAA Division I regular season contest to be played in Italy.  Additionally, it is the first regular season NCAA Division I men’s basketball game to be played in Europe since Dec. 4, 2022.  On that date in London, Kentucky defeated Michigan, 73-69, and Marist snuck past Maine, 62-61, in a doubleheader at the O2 Arena as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase.  

In total, 25 NCAA Division I men’s basketball games have been played in Europe, including games at Ramstein AFB (Germany) and in the cities of Belfast (Northern Ireland), Dublin (Ireland), and London (England).  Villanova is the first BIG EAST school to play a regular season men’s basketball game in Europe.

BIG EAST MBB Daily Release (PDF)

Sunday, November 1
Villanova vs. Notre Dame - FOX - 9:30 a.m. ET
Kevin Kugler (pxp); Bill Raftery (analyst); Kim Adams (reporter)