This ESPN-Televised Basketball Tournament Used Vaccine Verification to Keep Players and Staff Safe
The Basketball Tournament (aka TBT) is a 64-team, single-elimination tourney that invites teams from all over the U.S. to compete for a $1M prize each summer. This year, TBT organizers faced the challenge of managing a complex COVID-19 safety protocol to keep ~1,000 participants and staff healthy during the two-week tournament as it played out at multiple arenas.
Participating teams were required to demonstrate a 75% vaccination rate, or submit to regular COVID-19 testing. To manage vaccine verification and testing, TBT turned to Healthcare IT Leaders. After the tournament, which aired on ESPN, we spoke with TBT Co-Founder Jennifer Todd to assess the engagement and discuss the unique challenges of verifying player vaccination status.