Bill Raftery Weighs Catchphrases for Villanova Notre Dame Game in Rome

Veteran college basketball broadcaster Bill Raftery plans to be more selective with his signature catchphrases when Villanova meets Notre Dame in Rome on Sunday, as the season-opening event honoring Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, brings the two Catholic universities together for a special basketball doubleheader.

Raftery will serve as a Fox analyst for the men's game at the Eternal City Tip-Off. The event also features a women's matchup between the universities, and all four teams and their fans are scheduled for a private audience with the pope on Saturday.

Raftery told The Associated Press before traveling to Rome that the occasion could influence his commentary, although his spontaneous broadcasting style might prove difficult to restrain.

"I've got to refrain from some probably in deference to the pope. But something might pop out that might cost me a day in the confessional booth." Raftery told The Associated Press.

The broadcaster is known for exclamations such as "onions!" after clutch baskets, "lingerie on the deck" when a defender is fooled, and "With a little kiss" for bank shots that bounce off the backboard.

Raftery said his calls have always emerged naturally during games rather than from deliberate preparation.

"anything I've ever done has been spontaneous." Raftery explained.

The Rome trip marks Raftery's first visit to the Italian capital since his honeymoon in 1969. He said his wife, Joan, four children and several grandchildren will accompany him, with more than 10 family members expected to be there.

He also expressed a wish that Rollie Massimino, Villanova's coach during its 1985 NCAA championship run, could have joined the trip. Massimino died in 2017 after leading the Wildcats to one of the most celebrated upsets in college basketball history.

"I would love to see Rollie [meet] the pope. He would be advising him on church matters, business matters, basketball. And food too." Raftery said.

Raftery coached Seton Hall for 11 seasons before beginning his broadcasting career in the 1980s. Alongside Dick Vitale, he helped popularize distinctive catchphrases in college basketball coverage and became a familiar voice for generations of fans.

"Part of what you're doing, not that you think of it as entertainment, but it's to make the audience enjoy what they're watching." Raftery said.

He also described his career as an opportunity to connect with student-athletes and universities through his commentary.

"I can't express deep enough to just be a small part of a lot of kids' lives and a lot of great institutions. It's like you got on the bandwagon and you never got off. Everything I did or said was to be said succinctly and with meaning -- to get in and out of the play-by-play man's way." Raftery said.

Despite decades in broadcasting, Raftery did not become CBS' lead Final Four analyst until 2015. He left ESPN in 2013 when the Big East's media rights moved to Fox, where he now calls games across multiple conferences alongside play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson.

Raftery also voiced concerns about changes in college basketball, particularly the transfer portal, name, image and likeness payments, and conference realignment. He said coaches and players must adapt to the system while considering the long-term consequences for student-athletes.

"I don't know of anybody who likes it, but if you're in it, you've got to play by the rules. A lot of coaches have left. Some can afford to leave. ...

My only concern is these kids that don't make it to the level that they're all playing for. And are they sure they have a degree? Are they sure that they have a major that will help them contribute in life, raise a family?"

Raftery said.

He said the atmosphere surrounding a live game can temporarily shift attention away from those structural issues and back toward the competition.

"The greatest thing for anybody that does what we do is between 7 and 9 [p.m.], nobody cares about the rules, the eligibility. They just want to watch the game." Raftery said.

Although Raftery is in his mid-80s, he has not announced plans to retire. He has said he prefers to let his employers determine when his broadcasting career should end and maintains that he remains enthusiastic about the work.

"I'm just as enthusiastic as I was when I started. I enjoy what I'm doing. It keeps you young, interested, and you feel like you can still contribute.

Hopefully, I'll be able to do that until the bell rings." Raftery said.