Over three cities and nine days, the University of Minnesota men’s basketball team will take part in a foreign tour of Italy in early August. The trip will feature three games against teams in Italy.

“The experience of traveling to Italy this summer will be extremely beneficial to our young team,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “As we continue to incorporate our new players, this trip will be a chance for the entire team to develop stronger bonds both on and off the court while experiencing some of the most amazing scenery and history in the world.”

The Gophers will depart on Saturday, August 3 and after overnight international travel, arrive in the capital city of Rome early Sunday morning. Three days of sightseeing and learning about the historical attractions in Rome including the Colosseum, Vatican City and others will follow. On the evening of Tuesday, August 6, the Gophers will suit up for their first game against the Stella Azzurra Academy in Rome.

Early the next morning, the Gophers will depart Rome and travel by train to Florence, where they will explore the heart of the Tuscany region and birthplace of the Renaissance. Their two-day stay in Florence will conclude with a game against the Tuscan Select squad in Florence on Thursday, August 8.

Friday will feature bus travel to Lake Como with a lunch stop in Bologna, before a boat tour Saturday on the famous lake and a game against Como Select that evening. The Gophers will return to Minneapolis Sunday afternoon.

As part of their foreign tour, which are permitted once every four years by the NCAA, the Gophers will have 10 additional practices leading up to the trip. Minnesota last traveled on a summer foreign tour in 2015, visiting Barcelona and Madrid in Spain.