When a men’s college basketball game between Memphis and Tennessee became one of many high-profile sporting events canceled or postponed because of a rise in coronavirus cases, the circumstances presented new questions to Memphis Coach Penny Hardaway about how many of his players were vaccinated.
During the preseason, Hardaway said 90 percent of his players were vaccinated, but the Tennessee cancellation revealed that only four players were eligible for the game. Some players who had not tested positive themselves would be unable to play because of contact tracing, a restriction that applies only to unvaccinated players.