FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 17, 2022) – Intersport today announced a multi-year partnership with Elevance Health to create a four-team, early season women’s college basketball event. The inaugural Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off will take place Nov. 25-27 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. 

“Our goal as event organizers is to create a first-class experience for participating teams, both on and off the court, regardless of gender,” said Mark Starsiak, vice president of basketball at Intersport and event director. “We are excited to partner with a forward-thinking company like Elevance Health that will help us create more of these opportunities for women’s basketball players for years to come.”

At Elevance Health, the strategy to become a lifetime trusted health partner is fueled by their purpose to improve the health of humanity, and relationships such as this one further advances their commitment to address health equity, social injustice and athlete advocacy. As part of its broader effort, the Elevance Health title sponsorship includes a community impact component that will provide state-of-the-art, auxiliary fitness spaces to under-resourced schools across the country, as a way to make additional tools available for girls.

“As an organization with deep roots in our communities, we are committed to being a national and local leader that takes action against inequity,” said Gail K. Boudreaux, President and CEO of Elevance Health. “By collaborating with like-minded partners, we are able to hold ourselves accountable to create opportunities that foster equity and inclusivity. This exciting event is just one example of Elevance Health connecting with communities to expand programs and increase access to resources, in this case for women student-athletes, that will level the playing field and inspire a new generation.”

Five-time Final Four participant Maryland highlights the inaugural field that also includes six-time Big East regular season champion DePaul, Pitt and Towson. Additional event details, including game schedule, will be announced next week.

The Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off will be the third event included in Intersport’s series of basketball competitions held in Southwest Florida during Thanksgiving Week. What initially started as a four-team, four-game event in 2018 has expanded to a 12-team, 14-game celebration of men’s and women’s college basketball in 2022. After initially staging one men’s four-team early season event in 2018, the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off expanded to two men’s divisions, the Beach and the Palms, in 2021, ahead of this year’s addition of the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off.

For travel packages and more information on the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, visit www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@FtMyersTipoff).

About Intersport

Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Customer Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Sports Properties, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps their clients to create ideas, content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About Elevance Health, Inc.

Elevance Health is a lifetime, trusted health partner fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. The company supports consumers, families, and communities across the entire care journey – connecting them to the care, support, and resources they need to lead healthier lives. Elevance Health’s companies serve more than 118 million people through a diverse portfolio of industry-leading medical, digital, pharmacy, behavioral, clinical, and complex care solutions. For more information, please visit www.elevancehealth.com or follow us @ElevanceHealth on Twitter and Elevance Health on LinkedIn.