FOX Sports Opens 2026–27 College Basketball Season With Historic Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome

All Roads Lead to Rome for Marquee Notre Dame–Villanova Doubleheader

Kevin Kugler, Bill Raftery, and Kim Adams Team Up for the Action on FOX & FS1

Los Angeles – College basketball officially launches its 2026–27 season from an unprecedented global stage on Sunday, Nov. 1, as FOX Sports broadcasts the historic ETERNAL CITY TIP-OFF live from the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, Italy. This first-of-its-kind international regular-season doubleheader features storied powerhouses in Notre Dame and Villanova squaring off across both men’s and women’s play. The action begins with the men's clash at 9:30 AM ET on FOX, followed immediately by the women's showdown featuring the No. 13 Fighting Irish taking on the Wildcats at 12:00 PM ET on FS1.

FOX Sports brings a veteran broadcast team to Rome for the historic doubleheader, with play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler calling both matchups. Kugler is joined by Hall of Fame analyst Bill Raftery and sideline reporter Kim Adams for the men's game on FOX, before Adams moves into the analyst chair alongside Kugler for the women's contest on FS1.