A sixteenth player is also invited as an alternate contestant in the event that a qualified champion is unable to attend ; usually , though not always ( see below ) , this player is the most successful contestant ( measured first by wins , then by amount won ) not already in the tournament . In the 2001 event , the two overflow five-day champions ( Mark Dawson & Alan Bailey ) were both invited as alternates , due to travel concerns in the wake of the September 11 attacks , though no one was unable to compete , and both were included as planned in the 2003 tournament . As well , the highest earning contestant to not advance out of the prior round is assigned as an alternate for the semifinals and finals in case of emergency . In 1986 , 2014 , 2017 , and 2019 , the sixteenth player participated and a seventeenth player , also based on the same criteria , was the alternate
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions