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There was some history made outside of the sports world on Thursday. Following a two-day-long papal conclave, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the next pope, making him the first American-born pope.
Prevost, who picked Pope Leo XIV to be his papal name, was born and raised in Chicago. He also attended Villanova University, graduating from there in 1977 with a degree in mathematics.
As details of Pope Leo XIV’s background emerged, many also wondered where his sports allegiances lie. A lot of that seems to be unknown, though. Pope Leo XIV is believed to be a Chicago Cubs fan, a surprise considering that he grew up on the South Side, home of the Chicago White Sox, according to ABC News.
Beyond that, there aren’t many other details known about Pope Leo XIV’s thoughts on Chicago sports. There’s no public record of him weighing in on the Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate. He didn’t take to social media on Sundays this past season to complain about the Chicago Bears struggling during Caleb Williams‘ rookie season. He could be a Connor Bedard fan, but it’s unclear if he follows the Chicago Blackhawks or not.
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Pope Leo XIV does seem to be in tune with Villanova basketball. Following Villanova’s dramatic win over North Carolina in the 2016 national championship game, he re-tweeted a tweet mentioning that the Wildcats’ championship win that year was the first won by a Catholic school in men’s basketball since Villanova’s first title win in 1985.
Former Villanova coach Jay Wright congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his honor.
“A blessing for all Americans, @osavocations @VillanovaU, most importantly the World!,” Wright wrote in a social media post.
Villanova also sent a celebratory message to Pope Leo XIV.
“Today, we joyously celebrate the election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, a moment of profound significance for the global Church,” the school wrote in a statement. “A Villanova alumnus, Pope Leo XIV is the first Pope from the United States and the first Augustinian friar to be elected.”
Pope Leo XIV’s ties to Villanova led many sports fans to make the point that the school is riding a high at the moment. Former Villanova stars Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart have led the New York Knicks to a surprising 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Donte DiVincenzo, who won two national titles at Villanova, has also been a key piece for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they battle the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals.
Film director Spike Lee, arguably the world’s most famous Knicks fan, believes that the election of Pope Leo XIV bodes well for the Knicks’ title chances.
“For My NEW YAWK KNICKS FANS His Alma Mater Is VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY (BRUNSON,HART And BRIDGES Won NCAA Rings At VILLANOVA)What A HOLY BLESSING. 🙏🏾THE KNICKERBOCKERS ARE G🏀-NNA WIN THE 2024-2025 NBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. IT IS DIVINITY.GOD BLESS.🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾And Dat’s Da H🏀LY TRUTH,” Lee wrote in an Instagram post.
Others got in on the fun with Thursday’s announcement. The NFL’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account posted a screenshot from when the Arizona Cardinals were on the clock in the 2025 NFL Draft, with the chyron reading “the pick is in” when the white smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd also congratulated Pope Leo XIV during Thursday’s “The Herd.”
“Congratulations to the first American pope, Robert Prevost. He’s from Chicago and went to Villanova, so he’s a culture guy, totally,” Cowherd said. “How about that? Gotta speak Italian, not Latin.”
“Chicago’s just winning the offseason,” co-host Jason McIntyre chimed in. “The pope in there, Ben Johnson, offensive line rebuild — they’ve just gotta fix the Bulls.”
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