College Basketball News

Broadcaster Raftery may hold the 'onions' for hoops opener honoring pope

Bill Raftery is considering dialing back some of his famous catchphrases for his first broadcasting assignment of the college basketball season.

· 2 min read
Originally reported by ESPN
Broadcaster Raftery may hold the 'onions' for hoops opener honoring pope
Photo: ESPN

Pope Leo XIV: What Happened

ESPN reported on Friday, October 30, 2026 in a story involving Pope Leo XIV, Broadcaster Raftery, Bill Raftery. Here is how the report opens:

Bill Raftery is considering dialing back some of his famous catchphrases for his first broadcasting assignment of the college basketball season. That's because Pope Leo XIV could be listening.

— ESPN

It is one of many College Basketball stories we are following today. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on College basketball and what to watch next.

Key Takeaways

  • The story: Broadcaster Raftery may hold the 'onions' for hoops opener honoring pope
  • Who’s involved: Pope Leo XIV, Broadcaster Raftery and Bill Raftery
  • League: College Basketball
  • First reported: Friday, October 30, 2026 by ESPN

Background: College basketball

College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athletic bodies, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). These national affiliation organizations may be subdivided into divisions, generally based on the number and level of scholarships that may be provided to the athletes. Institutions that play in Division II of the NCCAA are typically small Bible colleges.

Text from Wikipedia’s College basketball article, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What’s Next for Pope Leo XIV

For fans following Pope Leo XIV, the next things to watch are the AP Top 25, bracketology, transfer portal and recruiting. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened with Pope Leo XIV?

Bill Raftery is considering dialing back some of his famous catchphrases for his first broadcasting assignment of the college basketball season. That's because Pope Leo XIV could be listening. ESPN reported the story on Friday, October 30, 2026.

Who reported this CBB story?

ESPN first reported it on Friday, October 30, 2026. ForTheFans summarizes it here with background and related College Basketball news.

Where can I get the latest College Basketball news today?

The ForTheFans College Basketball page collects every CBB headline as it breaks, including AP Top 25, bracketology and transfer portal, with live scores on our scores page.

Summarized by ForTheFans from reporting by ESPN. Headlines, quoted text and photos belong to their publishers. How we report

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