Every season, the University of Kansas kicks off the preseason with festivities that been known as Late Night in the Phog. The purpose of this event is to build anticipation for the upcoming season, but 2019’s iteration reportedly caused controversy after a performance by Snoop Dogg. In fact, the university’s athletic director, Jeff Long, released an apology on Saturday to anyone that may have been offended.
The potential issues stems from Dogg performing some of his hits, such as “Gin and Juice” and “Smoke Weed Everday” in front of 163,000 fans. He didn’t censor the lyrics and create a clean show, per the university’s request, and actually included pole dancers.
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To cap off the evening, Dogg shot fake cash into the crowd with a money gun, 11 days after the NCAA sent Kansas notice of three alleged Level 1 violations. These were primarily tied to recruiting and including a responsibility charge against coach Bill Self.
September 23rd: Kansas basketball program accused of major NCAA violations
October 4th: Kansas has stripper poles and Snoop Dogg shoot a gun full of money into the crowd at March Madness
Jayhawks…doubling down? ✅pic.twitter.com/McsTBaj7Ia
— Mike Randle (@RandleRant) October 5, 2019
“We apologize for the Snoop Dogg performance at Late Night,” Long said in a statement, per Sports Illustrated. “We made it clear to the entertainers’ managers that we expected a clean version of the show. … I take full responsibility for not thoroughly vetting all the details of the performance and offer my personal apology to those who were offended. We strive to create a family atmosphere at Kansas and fell short of that this evening.”
Head coach Bill Self also added to the discussion with comments of his own. He had previously appeared in a hype video for the Dogg performance on Sept. 27 but was not overly pleased with the product on the court.
“That’s not the direction that anybody at our school would want that to go at all,” Self said. “Regardless of the entertainment that it provided many, it was still not the right way to provide the entertainment.”
Per a report by Kansas.com, the crowd loved the performance by the longtime rapper, but the university itself was less than pleased. Whether it was the fake $100 bills with Snoop Dogg’s face or the lyrical content in the songs, they had some form of regret about this decision.
Kansas will start the 2019-20 season with a battle against Duke at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5.
