TBT Announces Games to Start July 4; Tournament to be Televised on ESPN

Live basketball will officially makes its return in three weeks, beginning July 4, with the 2020 The Basketball Tournament.

West Virginia fans will get their first taste back of sports with Best Virginia, made up of Mountaineer alums, participating for the second time in the tournament.

Tournament officials announced Thursday morning that the TBT will be held July 4 through July 14 in Columbus, Ohio, and will be televised live on ESPN. According to the TBT Twitter account, the 24-team bracket will be announced on Tuesday.

🚨TBT 2020 tips off on Fourth of July!🚨

July 4-14
Columbus, Ohio
Live on @espn

BASKETBALL RETURNS IN THREE WEEKS! pic.twitter.com/vy7EM6dZdA

— TBT (@thetournament) June 11, 2020

In May, TBT officials announced on Twitter changes to the annual tournament due to COVID-19. The 2020 competition will contain 24 teams, last for 10 days all at one quarantined location. Typically the tournament would consist of 64 teams, last for three weeks and games would take place across the country.

Throughout the months leading to the tournament and with questions around its format, the Best Virginia alumni team has announced they have signed up to participate. Currently on the roster are: Nathan Adrian, Da’Sean Butler, John Flowers, Kevin Jones, Daxter Miles Jr., Tarik Phillip, Juwan Staten, Jaysean Paige, Jonathan Holton and the most recent addition of Logan Routt.

All participants will be tested for COVID-19 upon arriving, teams will be quarantined at all times and screen regularly for symptoms. All participants will be tested again after the quarantine period.

“A positive test result will lead to the removal of both the individual and their team from the event,” according to the announcement.

Best Virginia, which posts updates on its Twitter account, is asking help from fans to get to Columbus, Ohio, with the cancellation of its summer tour across the state of West Virginia.

“Due to COVID-19, we were unable to have our summer of basketball – four cities across West Virginia, plus live fan meet and greets and podcasts, to help raise money for the TBT,” the post said. “We will very soon be introducing new team merch that you can get to directly support our team!”

HELP US GET TO COLUMBUS!

If you want to help BEST VIRGINIA get to @thetournament this year in Ohio, consider donating what you can, if you can, to our GoFundMe. It all helps us coordinate all the players, travel, etc. https://t.co/gZyt53Ju3h pic.twitter.com/r4lqGouvTB

— The Final Fourcast • BEST VIRGINIA TBT (@finalfourcast) June 11, 2020

This year’s tournament is the seventh annual competition in which college alumni teams across the nation compete for a $1 million prize through a single-elimination tournament.