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COVID-19 swept through a high-profile, Nike-sponsored high school basketball tournament in the hard-hit South last month, infecting an unknown number of players and others in attendance.

Some games at the Peach Jam tournament had to be canceled due to an inadequate number of able-bodied players. At least one team reportedly left the tournament early, partially out of concern for players’ safety.

Neither Nike nor state or local health officials disclosed how many cases were tied to the event. State officials in Georgia, where most of the tournament’s coaches and players stayed, said they were unaware of an outbreak. Officials in South Carolina, where the games were played, said they too had received no information from Peach Jam organizers of an outbreak.

“Yes, there were positive cases,” said Josh Benedek, a Nike spokesman. He declined to say how many.

The tournament, one of the world’s biggest stages for up-and-coming basketball talent, hosted 48 different teams — 16 teams each in three different age groups — adding up to about 500 players. Coaches, family and friends could bring the number of attendees higher.

At least one top-level collegiate coach who attended the games, Bill Self of the University of Kansas, publicly confirmed he had COVID-19 on July 23. Kentucky Sports Radio reported Self had been among the elite college coaches in attendance at Peach Jam.

Self, who is fully vaccinated and was experiencing minor symptoms, did not say where he might have contracted the virus, and neither Self nor University of Kansas officials could be reached for comment Friday.

The pandemic has wreaked havoc with sports. It has led to shortened seasons, canceled games and empty stadiums. Leagues and colleges have suffered financially, while elite high school athletes have bemoaned a loss of opportunities to show their skills.

Few want the return of the pre-pandemic status quo more than Nike. It has built a $44 billion-a-year operation on a foundation of sports.

The games coincide with the July “live period,” when the NCAA allows college basketball coaches to attend games in person to scout the best talent.

This year, though, the “live period” came just as the virus has surged in number, largely due to the highly infectious delta variant. The deep south, where the Peach Jam is staged, has been particularly hard hit.

Nike canceled last year’s Peach Jam due to the pandemic. This year, it banished fans and changed the format. Instead of a typical calendar of regular-season games followed by a four-day national championship, it brought every team in the league back to South Carolina. For three weeks, the teams played almost every day, eventually leading to a national championship game.

Nike required that players get tested every other day. They collected their own samples via nasal swab.

“Five swirls,” said Will Smith III, a player with Real Run International in Los Angeles. “That’s what they told us to do. Five swirls in each nostril. We did it ourselves. There was a little paper envelope we’d put it in. Then it was taken away.”

Talk of positive tests began to circulate shortly after the event began. The New York Times reported LeBron James’ EYBL team left the event early out of concern about COVID-19, citing two unnamed sources. The newspaper reported — in a story published before the tournament wrapped — that players on at least five teams had tested positive.

Jack Pilgrim attended the event in his role covering the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team for Kentucky Sports Radio. The crowds had notably thinned by the second weekend as word of the COVID-19 cases began to leak out.

“People just started leaving,” he said. “It was like a COVID-19 petri dish.”

“We take the health and safety of athletes seriously – and so do our partners,” Nike said in a written statement. “Because of this commitment, the medical professionals on site followed CDC guidelines and safety measures which included daily testing as is happening at many sporting events.”

Nike said the COVID-19 cases were reported to local public health officials. That was news to Sadie Stockton, chronic disease program manager at the East Central Health District.

“According to our people, we haven’t been informed by anyone,” Stockton said.

The East Central Health District oversees public health operations in several counties, including Richmond County. Most of the Peach Jam players and coaches stayed in hotels and other lodging in the city of Augusta, which is located in Richmond County.

Georgia state officials were similarly in the dark.

“We have no information here at the State,” said Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and state health officer.

Toomey vowed to look into the matter further. “We are interested to find out now, too.”

Several hours later, a spokeswoman for Toomey’s agency reiterated Toomey’s contention that no one in the state public health agency had been alerted.

“We have not been notified about this outbreak,” said Nancy Nydam, director of communications for the public health department.

Nydam added that notification is not optional: “Outbreaks are reportable by law,” she said.

The Peach Jam is officially based across the state line in North Augusta, South Carolina. The games are played there. But Nike said the COVID cases were reported to Georgia officials because most of the players were staying at hotels in nearby Augusta, Georgia.

“Nike and its partners complied with applicable local laws and regulations,” the company said in a statement. “Testing was conducted at a remote diagnostic testing site in nearby Augusta, Ga., administered by a CLIA-certified diagnostic testing company. The testing company was in touch with state officials and followed all CDC and state guidelines with regards to reporting.”

Jeremy Jiunnies, supervisor of facilities and programs at the North Augusta Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department, said he was aware of some number of COVID-19 cases.

“I know they did testing,” Jiunnies said. “I know they were quarantining folks who had it.”

Jiunnies said only a small number of participants tested positive.

“The only number I heard was less than 1%,” he said. “I haven’t heard a raw number.”

If Jiunnies’ information is accurate, the outbreak was indeed relatively minor.

Others dismiss such low estimates. Some in attendance put the number in the high double-digits.

Several players, parents and coaches agreed to talk only on the condition they not be named. The Peach Jam and the Elite Youth Basketball League that provides the competing teams are both Nike property, and the teams at the Peach Jam are affiliated with clubs that are supported by the sneaker giant with money, shoes and apparel.

“I know of three teams with three to five players who tested positive,” said one coach, who asked that his name not be used. “I know of one team that started with 10 players and was down to six by the championship game.”

Loren Leath, head of the elite Oakland Soldiers youth program, brought three teams to the tournament from different age groups. “Out of 32 to 33 kids, I only had two positives,” he said. Neither got seriously ill.

Leath said he first heard about new COVID cases on the second day of testing. Under the protocols in place at the event, players who tested positive were quarantined for seven days at an area hotel, Leath said.

Teammates of the COVID-positive players continued to compete. It’s unclear if that’s true of unvaccinated teammates; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that anyone not vaccinated who has come into close contact with a COVID-positive person should themselves go into isolation for 14 days.

Toward the end of the event, the COVID disqualifications began having a significant impact on some teams. One father in attendance said two of the quarterfinal games were not played because at least one of the teams didn’t have enough players.

Most parents and coaches said they were glad it wasn’t any worse.

“You take that many people packed into a gym, cheering and yelling, you’ve got hundreds of players. It could have been bad,” said Will Smith II, father of Will Smith III. “Overall, I thought Nike did a good job.”

Others were less sure.

“I’m in favor of everyone trying to have these tournaments and have these kids play,” said one father of a player. “All that being said, you just wonder whether they did things properly, did they react appropriately when things began to go sideways?”